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Expression of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 in gastric cancer
Author(s) -
KAWASAKI KENTARO,
HAYASHI YOSHITAKE,
WANG YAO,
SUZUKI SATOSHI,
MORITA YASUSHI,
NAKAMURA TAKESHI,
NARITA KOICHI,
DOE WILLIAM,
ITOH HIROSHI,
KURODA YOSHIKAZU
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1998.tb00765.x
Subject(s) - urokinase receptor , plasminogen activator , urokinase , cancer research , lymphovascular invasion , lymphatic system , metastasis , pathology , medicine , plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 , lymph node , lymphatic vessel , receptor , lymph , cancer cell , cancer , biology
ABSTRACT In gastric cancer, the urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA) system plays important roles in invasion and metastasis, processes which entail proteolysis and adhesion. Both the urokinasetype plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and the plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) are thought to be important factors in this system. To clarify the relationship between these two factors and gastric cancer invasiveness, we evaluated the expression of uPAR and PAI‐1 in 91 cases of gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor‐mRNA, PAI‐1‐mRNA, uPAR and PAI‐1 protein were diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells and concentrated at invasive foci. Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor protein expression correlated with lymphatic, venous invasion ( P <.01) and lymph node metastasis ( P <0.05); uPAR‐mRNA expression correlated with lymphatic, venous invasion and lymph node metastasis ( P <0.05). Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 protein expression correlated with lymphatic, venous invasion, lymph node metastasis and depth of invasion ( P <0.01); PAI‐1‐mRNA expression was linked to lymphatic, venous invasion ( P <0.01), lymph node metastasis and depth of invasion ( P <0.05). This suggests that the proteolytic activity of uPAR and the cellular motility of PAI‐1 in gastric cancer cells may determine penetration of lymphatic and blood vessels, whereby lymph node metastasis may be promoted and that the promotion of cellular motility by PAI‐1 may influence the depth of cancer invasion.