title: Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) in breast cancer - correlation with traditional prognostic factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) play a key role in tumour invasion and metastasis. High levels of both proteolytic enzymes are associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between traditional prognostic factors and uPA and PAI-1 expression in primary tumour of breast cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  606 primary breast cancer patients were enrolled in the prospective study in the Department of gynaecological oncology and breast oncology at the University Medical Centre Maribor between the years 2004 and 2010. We evaluated the traditional prognostic factors (age, menopausal status, tumour size, pathohistological type, histologic grade, lymph node status, lymphovascular invasion and hormone receptor status), together with uPA and PAI-1. We used Spearman's rank correlation, Mann Whitney U test and χ(2) test for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings indicate a positive correlation between uPA and tumour size (p < 0.001), grade (p < 0.001), histological type (p < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.01) and a negative correlation between uPA and hormone receptor status (p < 0.001). They also indicate a positive correlation between PAI-1 and tumour size (p = 0.004), grade (p < 0.001), pathohistological type (p < 0.001) and negative correlation between PAI-1 and hormone receptor status (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed a relationship between uPA and PAI-1 and traditional prognostic factors. Their role as prognostic and predictive factors remains to be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lampelj
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arko
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cas-Sikosek
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Rajko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kavalar
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravnik
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jezersek-Novakovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina Fokter
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dovnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic and Breast Oncology, Division of Gynaecology and Perinatology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Iztok
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takac
keywords: breast cancer; plasminogen activator inhibitor; prognostic factor; urokinase plasminogen activator
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