Significance of plasminogen-activation system in the formation of macroscopic types and invasion in esophageal carcinoma

• Published in: Anticancer research Vol. 22; no. 5; p. 2913
• Main Authors: Nomiya, Takuma, Nemoto, Kenji, Miyachi, Hideo, Fujimoto, Keisuke, Takahashi, Chiaki, Takeda, Ken, Matushita, Haruo, Ogawa, Yoshihiro, Takai, Yoshihiro, Yamada, Shogo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01.09.2002
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Esophageal Neoplasms - enzymology; Esophageal Neoplasms - metabolism; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 - biosynthesis; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 0250-7005; 1791-7530

The roles of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the formation of macroscopic types and invasion were investigated. A total of 40 surgically-resected esophageal carcinoma tissues were immunohistochemically stained, and the expression of uPA, PAI-1 and the uPA/PAI-1 ratio, were evaluated. The expression of uPA was significantly stronger in the macroscopically infiltrative type (n = 20: p = 0.0027), whereas PAI-1 was significantly stronger in the localized type (n = 20: p = 0.0005). The uPA/PAI-1 ratio was significantly higher in the infiltrative type (p < 0.0001). A significant correlation was found between the U/P ratio and the depth of tumor invasion (r = 0.511, p = 0.0014). Analysis of tumors of uniform size (4.0-6.0 cm in length), showed that the depth of invasion was significantly greater in the infiltrative type (p = 0.0038). The results demonstrated that uPA and PAI-1 play important roles in invasion and formation of macroscopic types of esophageal carcinoma.