title: Prognostic importance of the uPa/PAI-1 complex in breast cancer.
abstract: The complex between urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1) has been prognostically evaluated in patients with breast cancer. The concentrations of uPA antigen, PAI-1 antigen and the uPA/PAI-1 complex were analysed in extracts from breast cancer tumours from 233 patients (median follow-up of patients: 71months). The uPA/PAI-1 complex typically constituted about 5% of the uPA antigen (total uPA). The concentration of complex was found to correlate more strongly to the concentration of PAI-1 (r = 0.72; p < 0.0001) than to the concentration of uPA (r = 0.55: p < 0.0001). Interestingly, in this material the uPA/PAI-1 complex (using an optimised cutoff level of 0.22 ng microg(-1) DNA) had a stronger prognostic value than optimised cut-off valuesfor uPA or PAI-1. The data suggest that activation of prourokinase within the tumour, which is a prerequisite for the formation of the uPA/PAI-1 complex, is of better prognostic value than the production of prourokinase or PAI-1 in the breast cancer tumour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Blood Coagulation, Karolinska Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. margareta.sten-linder@ks.se
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sten-Linder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seddighzadeh
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rutqvist
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skoog
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator