title: Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor on invasive cancer cells: a prognostic factor in distal gastric adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Gastric cancer is the second cancer causing death worldwide. The five-year survival for this malignancy is below 25% and few parameters have shown an impact on the prognosis of the disease. The receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPAR) is involved in extracellular matrix degradation by mediating cell surface associated plasminogen activation, and its presence on gastric cancer cells is linked to micrometastasis and poor prognosis. Using immunohistochemistry, the prognostic significance of uPAR was evaluated in tissue samples from a retrospective series of 95 gastric cancer patients. uPAR was expressed by neoplastic cells, macrophages, myofibroblasts and neutrophils in both intestinal and diffuse subtypes. No association was demonstrated between the expression of uPAR on cancer cells and histological subtype (p = 0.64) or TNM stage (p = 0.75). Univariate analysis revealed a significant association between the expression of uPAR on tumor cells in the peripheral invasion zone and overall survival of gastric cancer patients (HR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.13-4.14; p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that uPAR immunoreactivity in cancer cells at the invasive front is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer (HR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.22-4.69; p = 0.011). In consequence, scoring of uPAR-positive cancer cells may be a direct measure for the invasive potential of gastric adenocarcinomas.
authors: The Finsen Laboratory, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. walpizar@finsenlab.dk
authors: Warner
authors: W
authors: Alpízar-Alpízar
authors: Ib Jarle
authors: IJ
authors: Christensen
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Santoni-Rugiu
authors: Arne
authors: A
authors: Skarstein
authors: Kjell
authors: K
authors: Ovrebo
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Illemann
authors: Ole Didrik
authors: OD
authors: Laerum
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000378:metabolism*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator