Protease Cargo in Circulating Exosomes of Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: As is known, exosomes play an important role in promoting progression of cancers by increasing its invasive potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of tetraspanine-associated (ADAM-10) and tetraspanine-nonassociated proteases (20S proteasomes) in exosomes from culture medium, plasma exosomes of patients with breast tumors and plasma and ascites of ovarian tumor patients. METHODS: MCF-7 and SVO-3 culture mediums and blood samples from healthy females (n = 30, HFs), patients with diffuse dyshormonal dysplasia of the breast (n=28, BBTPs), breast cancer patients (n=32, BCPs), borderline ovarian tumor patients (n=20, BOTPs) and blood and ascites samples ovarian cancer patients (n=35, OCPs) were included in the study. Exosomes from plasma, ascites and culture mediums were isolated and characterized in according to Extracellular Vesicles Society. The expression levels of 20S proteasome and ADAM-10 in exosomes were determined using flow cytometry and western blot analysis, correspondingly. RESULTS: The subpopulation composition of the exosomes from MCF-7 culture medium and from blood plasma of HFs and breast diseases patients is similar, however CD9/CD24 subpopulation significantly increased at cell supernatant. The similar results was obtained for exosomes from SVO-3 medium and blood plasma and ascites of ovary tumor patients, but CD9/CD24 subpopulation significantly decreased at cells and illness samples, however CD63/CD24 exosomes increased significantly from cell supernatant. 20S proteasome level is significantly increased in exosomes from MCF-7 and SVO-3 culture medium, breast tumor patients and OCPs plasma in comparison to HUVEC culture medium and HFs plasma samples. At CD9-positive exosomes from BCPs plasma and MCF-7 was reveal a high expression of ADAM-10 and low expression is from BBDPs plasma and ovarian tumor patients plasma/ascites samples. Exosomes from ascites OCP had high expression of ADAM-10 in the CD24-positive subpopulation. CONCLUSION: Breast and ovarian cancer development is connected with functioning of immune proteasome forms in plasma and ascites exosomes, while increased ADAM10 expression at CD9-positive exosome was associated with breast cancer and at CD24-positive subpopulation – with ovarian cancer. Obtained data confirm role of exosomal proteases in tumor progression.