Clinical significance of plasma tissue factor pathway and urokinase-type plasminogen activator system in cancer patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate variations in the plasma tissue factor (TF) and urokinase type plasminogen activator (u-PA) system and their relationship with clinical cancer type, pathological classification and metastatic status in cancer patients.


METHODS
Plasma levels of TF and its inhibitor (TFPI), as well as u-PA and its receptor (u-PAR) were measured using ELISA in 76 patients with malignant tumors and 24 patients with benign tumors.


RESULTS
Plasma levels of TF and u-PAR in the malignant tumor group were significantly higher than those of the benign tumor group and the normal control. U-PA and u-PAR increased significantly in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer. However, most of these parameters except TFPI did not vary according to pathological classification. A significant elevation was evident in patients with local infiltration, lymph node involvement and distal metastasis, while u-PAR only increased in the latter two categories.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the TF and u-PA systems are activated in cancer patients. U-PA and its receptor might prove to be a clinically useful marker for disease progression.
Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200025, China.
Weili
W
Zhao
Xuefeng
X
Wang
Bin
B
Qu
Xiaping
X
Huang
Hongli
H
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
D008074:Lipoproteins; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; C051928:lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor; D013925:Thromboplastin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator