Physiological and pathological changes of plasma urokinase-type plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor levels in healthy females and breast cancer patients.
The plasma urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) levels were measured in healthy volunteers and breast cancer patients. In pre-menopause healthy females, blood was sampled weekly during one menstruation cycle and menstruation phases (follicular, ovulatory, luteal) were determined by FSH/LH levels. uPA, PAI-1, and uPAR levels were at the nadir during ovulatory phase. uPA level was highest at follicular phase while PAI-1 level was highest at luteal phase. In comparison between pre- and post-menopause states, uPA and uPAR levels were higher in post-menopause state while PAI-1 level was higher in pre-menopause state. In breast cancer patients, uPA, PAI-1, and uPAR positive rates were low when we use the menopause-state-unmatched cut-off points. As we adjusted the cut-off points by menopause states, the PAI-1 positivity increased mainly in post-menopause cancer patients. These findings suggest that there is a minor but possible sequential change of these molecules during menstruation cycle which might blur the pathological positivity in pre-menopause cancer patients. The pathological elevation of PAI-1 was well detected in post-menopause cancer patients, but this elevation did not correlate with tumor burden such as number of metastatic sites or metastatic location. In conclusion, adjustment of physiological changes of uPA, PAI-1, and uPAR is required in determining pathological elevation of the plasma levels in cancer patients, especially in females.
Chung
H C
HC
Yonsei Cancer Research Institute, Yonsei Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Rha
S Y
SY
Park
J O
JO
Yoo
N C
NC
Kim
J H
JH
Roh
J K
JK
Min
J S
JS
Lee
K S
KS
Kim
B S
BS
Kim
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator