[Expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor in plasma of patients with cerebral infarction].
OBJECTIVE
To measure the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (UPA) and its receptor (UPAR) in the plasma of patients with cerebral infarction and to study the effects of UPA and UPAR on cerebral infarction.


METHODS
ELISA sandwich method was used to measure the plasma levels of UPA and UPAR in 89 patients with acute cerebral infarction, subdivided into mild, moderate and severe subgroups according to the modified Edinburgh-Scandinavia stroke scale (mESSS), and 30 patients with other disease and 30 healthy persons as controls.


RESULTS
Within 2 days after the onset of cerebral infarction the UPA and UPAR levels were (1663.7 +/- 384.2) ng/L and (1 375.3 +/- 303.0) ng/L respectively, both significantly higher than those of the patients with other diseases [(1 033.0 +/- 122.7) ng/L and (978.3 +/- 120.0) ng/L respectively (P = 0.038 and P = 0.000)] and those of the normal control group [(1 005.0 +/- 128.9) ng/L and (904.7 +/- 158.6) ng/L respectively, both P = 0.000]. Two weeks after the onset of stroke, the plasma UPA level was (1 185.5 +/- 384.6) ng/L, not significantly different from those of the 2 control groups (both P > 0.05); while the plasma UPAR level in the cerebral infarction was (1 159.3 +/- 261.2) ng/L, significantly higher than those in the 2 control groups (P < 0.01). Within 2 days after the onset of infarction the plasma UPA and UPAR levels of the severe subgroup were (1 938.9 +/- 256.5) ng/L and (1 510.8 +/- 378.7) ng/L respectively, both significantly higher than those of the moderate subgroup [(1 593.7 +/- 204.8) ng/L and (1 296.6 +/- 151.2) ng/L respectively, both P < 0.01] and those of the mild subgroup [1 358.5 +/- 175.9] ng/L and (1 226.8 +/- 98.3) ng/L respectively, both P < 0.01], Two weeks after the onset of stroke,the plasma UPA and uPAR levels of the severe subgroup remained significantly higher than those of the mild subgroup [(1 152.6 +/- 170.3) ng/L vs (1 041.9 +/- 187.0) ng/L, (P < 0.05)] and [(1 186.4 +/- 158.3) ng/L vs (1 053.9 +/- 109.4) ng/L, (P < 0.01)]. In addition, the plasma UPA and UPAR levels of the patients who died from cerebral infarction at last were the highest among all the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The plasma levels pf UPA and UPAR increase in patients with cerebral infarction and may be related with the severity of disease. The UPA and UPAR genes may play an important role via proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membrane during the development of cerebral infarction.
Song
Shui-jiang
SJ
Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Hu
Jun-bin
JB
Wang
Hong-xiang
HX
Wen
Shu-qun
SQ
Ding
Mei-ping
MP
Huang
Jian-zheng
JZ
D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator