Correlates of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in colorectal cancer: positive relationship with nm23 and c-erbB-2 protein expression.
We undertook a study to analyze the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) protein in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to compare it with c-erbB-2 (HER2/neu) and nm23 protein expression. Paraffin-embedded specimens from 58 patients with CRC were retrospectively collected. Immunohistochemical staining of u-PA, c-erbB-2, and nm23 was quantitatively evaluated using a color video image analysis (color VIA) technique. No correlation was found between u-PA expression and tumor stage, age, sex, or tumor site. Although there was no evidence from our data that the level of u-PA in the primary tumors could predict risk of liver metastasis or survival duration, CRC showing overexpression of u-PA (above 85 pixels) had a worse prognosis (P = 0.013). There were significant positive correlations among all three u-PA, c-erbB-2, and nm23 proteins (u-PA vs. c-erbB-2, P = 0.003; u-PA vs. nm23, P < 0.001; c-erbB-2 vs. nm23, P = 0.001), suggesting that, in vivo, all proteins interact or are similarly regulated.
Berney
C R
CR
Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Australia.
Yang
J
J
Fisher
R J
RJ
Russell
P J
PJ
Crowe
P J
PJ
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D020559:Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; D009701:Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; C517938:NME1 protein, human