title: Plasma values for u-PA in children.
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) is one major activator of plasminogen. It is also involved in tissue remodelling, angiogenesis, cell migration, and tumour metastasis. In adults, increased u-PA levels have been identified in patients with chronic liver disease. No data exist for u-PA plasma levels in children. In the present study, u-PA plasma levels were measured by ELISA in 95 healthy children and adolescents aged 7 months to 17 years. We found a median value of 1.06 ng/ml u-PA (range 0.43-15.78 ng/ml), which is similar to that found in adults (2-20 ng/ml). No differences between males and females were recorded. In addition, we determined u-PA plasma levels of 16 patients with severe or mild type I plasminogen deficiency and found a median value of 1.06 ng/ml (range 0.69-7.7 ng/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal plasma u-PA values in healthy children and adults are virtually no different from those reported in adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Würzburg, Germany. kink111@rzkli.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zeitler
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000172:deficiency; D012016:Reference Values; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010958:Plasminogen; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator