title: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator in colorectal cancer: relationship with clinicopathological features and patient outcome.
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) is a serine protease that has been implicated in cancer invasion and metastasis. We quantitated u-PA levels in normal colorectal mucosa, adenomatous polyps, and colorectal cancers and correlated these levels with clinicopathological features and patient survival. Detergent extracts were prepared from 133 colorectal cancers, 133 corresponding colorectal mucosal samples, and 15 synchronous adenomatous polyps. u-PA levels were determined using an ELISA, and a cancer:normal u-PA ratio was calculated for each case. u-PA levels were higher in cancers than in normal tissues, whereas adenomas had intermediate levels (P < 0.0001). u-PA levels were unrelated to clinical or pathological features. Survival was decreased in patients with a high cancer:normal u-PA ratio (P = 0.007). Multivariate survival analysis of patients undergoing curative surgery confirmed that the u-PA cancer:normal ratio was related to outcome (relative risk, 2.67; P = 0.02) and was independent of tumor stage (relative risk, 2.26; P = 0.03). Our study suggests that a high ratio of cancer to normal mucosal u-PA indicates an increased risk of colorectal cancer progression. Measurement of u-PA may provide useful prognostic information in patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer. The aggressive behavior of colorectal cancers with a high u-PA ratio suggests that the protease might be a suitable target for the development of therapeutic agents to prevent invasion and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterology, Nuclear Medicine, and Pathology, St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Skelly
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Troy
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sheahan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012306:Risk; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator