Cathepsin B, D and K expression in adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas relates to their levels of differentiation as determined by the patterns of retinoic acid receptor expression

Abstract

Recurrent adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas are characterized by low levels of RARbeta and high levels of RARgamma. The tendency to recurrence seems, at least partly, to relate to the fact that (i) craniopharyngiomas with low levels of RARbeta express low levels of cathepsin D, and (ii) craniopharyngiomas with high levels of RARgamma express high levels of cathepsin K.