title: Expression of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and its ligand (uPA) in brain tissues of human immunodeficiency virus patients with opportunistic cerebral diseases.
abstract: The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and its ligand (uPA) play an important role in cell migration and extracellular proteolysis. We previously described uPAR/uPA overexpression in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain tissues of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related cerebral diseases. In this study, we examined uPAR/uPA expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in brains of HIV patients with opportunistic cerebral lesions and in HIV-positive/negative controls. uPAR was found in macrophages/microglia with the highest levels in cytomegalovirus (CMV) encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, and lymphomas; in cryptococcosis and progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases, only a few positive cells were found and no positivity was observed in controls. uPA expression was demonstrated only in a few macrophages/microglia and lymphocytes in all the cases and HIV-positive controls without different pattern of distribution; no uPA immunostaining was found in cryptococcosis and HIV-negative controls. The higher expression of uPAR/uPA in most of the opportunistic cerebral lesions supports their role in these diseases, suggesting their contribution to tissue injury.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, L. Sacco Department of Clinical Sciences, L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, via G.B. Grassi 74, Milan, Italy. manuela.nebuloni@unimi.it
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nebuloni
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cinque
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sidenius
authors.forename: Angelita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lauri
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Omodeo-Zorini
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zerbi
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vago
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator