Study on plasma plasminogen activators in patients with malignant gynecologic tumors

Abstract

Increased plasminogen activator (PA) secrection has been observed in transformed and malignant cells and PA is thought to be involved in the processes of invasion and metastasis. Recently both types of plasminogen activator such as tissue type PA (tPA) and urokinase type PA (uPA), have been detected in human plasma.
In this study, to investigate the relationship between circulating PA and malignant state, we have measured plasma PA levels (PA activity, tPA and uPA antigen) in 69 women with gynecologic malignancies. These levels were compared to levels in a control group of 33 women with benign gynecologic tumors.
In the case of uterine tumors, significantly higher levels of tPA antigen were measured in patients of stage IV with metastasis (p<0.05). In the case of ovarian tumors, significant higher levels of tPA antigen were measured in patients of stage III and stage IV who showed dissemenation or metastasis (p<0.01). There was no correlation between PA activity or uPA antigen levels and malignant state.
These retults suggest that increased synthesis of tPA may play a role in cancer invasion and metastasis.