title: Measurement of urokinase-type plasminogen activator activity in sera of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients by an immunocapture assay.
abstract: The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) activity in sera of patients suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma was examined by a uPA-specific immunocapture assay. The results revealed that the activity levels in the patient sera were significantly higher than that of normal healthy controls. The uPA activity also increased with the staging of the disease and the anti-EBV VCA IgA titre which is a diagnostic test for the disease, although the results were not statistically different. These findings showed that the levels of the enzyme were related to the spread of the disease. In addition, it was demonstrated that the sensitivity of the assay could be increased by using SDS. If the sera were treated with 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) prior to the assay, higher levels of measureable PA activity were detected.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiology and Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000097:blood*; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators / Q000378:metabolism; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D015849:Plasminogen Inactivators; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator