title: The plasminogen activator system in pancreas cancer: role of t-PA in the invasive potential in vitro.
abstract: Plasminogen activators (PAs) play an important role in tumor cell invasion. We have analysed the expression of tissue-type PA (t-PA), urokinase-type PA (u-PA), and their respective receptors, annexin II and u-PAR, in normal and neoplastic cultures of pancreatic cells, as well as in pancreatic tissues, and have examined their role in tumor invasiveness in vitro. Using Northern blotting, Western blotting, and ELISA, t-PA is detected in cultured pancreas cancer cells displaying a well differentiated phenotype but it is undetectable in less differentiated cells and in normal pancreatic cultures. In contrast, u-PA transcripts, protein, and enzymatic activity are detected both in cancer cells and in normal cultures. Higher levels of u-PAR and annexin II are present in cancer cells than in normal cultures and, in SK-PC-1 cells, both receptors are localized in the basolateral membrane. In vitro invasion assays indicate that both t-PA and u-PA contribute to the invasiveness of SK-PC-1 cells through reconstituted extracellular matrix. To determine the relevance of these studies to pancreas cancer, immunohistochemical assays have been used to examine the expression of t-PA, u-PA, and their receptors in normal and neoplastic tissues. t-PA is absent from normal pancreas and from tumor associated pancreatitis, whereas it is detected in the majority of pancreas cancer tissues (16/17). Annexin II is also overexpressed in some tumors (5/13). u-PAR is overexpressed in most tumor samples examined (14/15), while u-PA is weakly detected in a low number of cases (3/14); both u-PAR and u-PA are overexpressed in areas of tumor associated pancreatitis. Indirect evidences indicate that K-ras and p53 mutated proteins can regulate the expression of PAs. In pancreatic cancer we have found an association between codon 12 K-ras mutations and t-PA expression (P=0.04). These results support the contention that, in the exocrine pancreas, activation of t-PA is more specifically associated to neoplastic transformation and to the invasive phenotype, whereas the induction of u-PA/u-PAR system might be more relevant to inflammatory or non-neoplastic events.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Biologia Cellular i Molecular, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paciucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torà
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Real
mesh_terms: D017306:Annexin A2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017306:Annexin A2; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator