title: Antigen levels of urokinase plasminogen activator and its receptor at the tumor-host interface of colorectal adenocarcinomas are related to tumor aggressiveness.
abstract: The distributions of urokinase and tissue plasminogen activators (uPA, tPA), uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1, PAI-2) were studied immunohistochemically in two subsets of colorectal adenocarcinomas with low and high aggressiveness, respectively: nine Dukes' stage A tumors with additional other good prognostic markers and 13 Duke's stage C tumors with also other poor prognostic markers (referred to as Dukes' stage A and Dukes' stage C tumors). The results showed that these components of the tissue destructive plasminogen activation system were accumulated at the invading front of the tumors. Both tumor groups showed accumulations of uPA, uPAR, and PAI-1 at the tumor-host interface compared with the location within the tumor epithelium and the adjacent normal mucosa and muscularis propria (all P < .05). However, the uPA level at the tumor-host interface in the Dukes' stage C tumors was twice the level in the Dukes' stage A tumors (P < .05). The uPAR level was also significantly higher in the Dukes' stage C tumors (P < .05), whereas the PAI-1 level was not significantly higher. This may indicate that uPA in more aggressive tumors exceeds the inhibitory capacity represented by PAIs, resulting in enhanced tissue destructive potential that promotes tumor invasion. uPA and uPAR antigen levels and the uPA/PAI-1 ratio at the tumor-host interface appeared to be related to tumor aggressiveness in colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Surgical Research, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buø
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Meling
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Karlsrud
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Aasen
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D015588:Observer Variation; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000276:immunology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000276:immunology*; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017252:CD3 Complex; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule; C524898:PLAUR protein, human