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1
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1L5.
2
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
3
Department of Surgery, Hospital de Jove, Gijon,
Spain.
4
Fundacion Tejerina, Madrid, Spain.
a Address correspondence to this author at: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1X5. Fax 416-586-8628; e-mail ediamandis{at}mtsinai.on.ca
Background: Human glandular kallikrein (hK2) belongs to the serine protease family of enzymes and has high sequence homology with prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The physiological role of hK2 has not as yet been determined, but there is evidence that it can regulate the proteolytic activity of PSA through processing and activating pro-PSA, an inactive precursor. Thus, it is conceivable that these two secreted proteins may coexist in biological fluids. Currently, hK2 is considered an androgen-regulated and prostate-specific protein. Recently, it has been demonstrated that hK2 is expressed in the breast cancer cell line T-47D after stimulation by steroid hormones, and we reported that hK2 can be detected in a subset of breast tumor extracts. These data suggest that hK2 may be expressed in tissues other than the prostate, such as those in which PSA has already been detected. Because hK2 is a secreted protein, it may be present in various biological fluids.
Methods: We analyzed milk samples from lactating women, amniotic fluid from pregnant women, and breast cyst fluid from patients with gross breast cystic disease, using a highly sensitive and specific immunoassay for hK2.
Results: hK2 was present in all three biological fluids. We suggest that the female breast may produce hK2 and provide evidence that hK2 may have value as an additional marker for the discrimination between type I and type II breast cysts.
Conclusions: The female breast produces hK2 in addition to PSA. More studies are necessary to establish the role of this kallikrein in nondiseased breast, gross breast cystic disease, and breast cancer.
The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:
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  E. P. Diamandis and G. M. Yousef Human Tissue Kallikreins: A Family of New Cancer Biomarkers Clin. Chem., August 1, 2002; 48(8): 1198 - 1205. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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A. Ylikoski, K. Pettersson, J. Nurmi, K. Irjala, M. Karp, H. Lilja, T. Lovgren, and M. Nurmi Simultaneous Quantification of Prostate-specific Antigen and Human Glandular Kallikrein 2 mRNA in Blood Samples from Patients with Prostate Cancer and Benign Disease Clin. Chem., August 1, 2002; 48(8): 1265 - 1271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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J. A. Finlay, J. R. Day, C. L. Evans, R. Carlson, K. Kuus-Reichel, L. S. Millar, S. D. Mikolajczyk, M. Goodmanson, G. G. Klee, and H. G. Rittenhouse Development of a Dual Monoclonal Antibody Immunoassay for Total Human Kallikrein 2 Clin. Chem., July 1, 2001; 47(7): 1218 - 1224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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 G. M. Yousef and E. P. Diamandis The New Human Tissue Kallikrein Gene Family: Structure, Function, and Association to Disease Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2001; 22(2): 184 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text]
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 C. V. Obiezu, A. Scorilas, A. Magklara, M. H. Thornton, C. Y. Wang, F. Z. Stanczyk, and E. P. Diamandis Prostate-Specific Antigen and Human Glandular Kallikrein 2 Are Markedly Elevated in Urine of Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2001; 86(4): 1558 - 1561. [Abstract] [Full Text]
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 C. Stephan, K. Jung, M. Lein, P. Sinha, D. Schnorr, and S. A. Loening Molecular Forms of Prostate-specific Antigen and Human Kallikrein 2 as Promising Tools for Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2000; 9(11): 1133 - 1147. [Abstract] [Full Text]
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