Relationship between urokinase-type plasminogen receptor, interleukin-8 gene expression and clinicopathological features in gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) appear to have a major function in tumor invasion and metastasis. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) acts as an angiogenic factor in solid cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the expression of IL-8 and the uPAR gene correlates with clinicopathological parameters in human gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
We examined the expression of uPAR mRNA and IL-8 mRNA using Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR in 35 gastric carcinomas and the surrounding normal mucosa. Macroscopic and histopathological tumor findings and survival rates were obtained from the patient records.


RESULTS
uPAR and IL-8 mRNA expression levels were higher in most neoplasms compared to the corresponding normal mucosal tissue. A correlation between uPAR and IL-8 expression in tumors was observed (r = 0.447, p < 0.01). uPAR mRNA expression in the tumors correlated well with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.02), and its stage (p < 0.01). The IL-8 MRNA expression in the tumors correlated with diffuse-type gastric cancer (p < 0.05). The survival rates of patients with tumors displaying high uPAR expression levels were significantly lower (p < 0.04) than those of patients without uPAR expression, but patients with IL-8 expression only showed a tendency to a lower survival rate.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that uPAR and IL-8 may be important prognostic factors in human gastric carcinomas.
Lee
Kyung Hee
KH
Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
Bae
Sung Hwa
SH
Lee
Jae Lyun
JL
Hyun
Myung Soo
MS
Kim
Sang Hoon
SH
Song
Sun Kyo
SK
Kim
Hee Sun
HS
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016209:Interleukin-8; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator