Significance of plasminogen-activation system in the formation of macroscopic types and invasion in esophageal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The roles of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the formation of macroscopic types and invasion were investigated.


METHODS
A total of 40 surgically-resected esophageal carcinoma tissues were immunohistochemically stained, and the expression of uPA, PAI-1 and the uPA/PAI-1 ratio, were evaluated.


RESULTS
The expression of uPA was significantly stronger in the macroscopically infiltrative type (n = 20: p = 0.0027), whereas PAI-1 was significantly stronger in the localized type (n = 20: p = 0.0005). The uPA/PAI-1 ratio was significantly higher in the infiltrative type (p < 0.0001). A significant correlation was found between the U/P ratio and the depth of tumor invasion (r = 0.511, p = 0.0014). Analysis of tumors of uniform size (4.0-6.0 cm in length), showed that the depth of invasion was significantly greater in the infiltrative type (p = 0.0038).


CONCLUSIONS
The results demonstrated that uPA and PAI-1 play important roles in invasion and formation of macroscopic types of esophageal carcinoma.
Nomiya
Takuma
T
Department of Radiation Oncology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1, Seiryo-machi, Aobaku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. nomiya@rad.med.tohoku.ac.jp
Nemoto
Kenji
K
Miyachi
Hideo
H
Fujimoto
Keisuke
K
Takahashi
Chiaki
C
Takeda
Ken
K
Matushita
Haruo
H
Ogawa
Yoshihiro
Y
Takai
Yoshihiro
Y
Yamada
Shogo
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator