Abstract
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), which cleaves plasminogen to yield plasmin, is a serine protease of fibrinolysis and is presumed to play a key role in extracellular proteolysis and facilitate the migration of cancer cells. This study was conducted prospectively to evaluate the prognostic significance of u-PA antigen level in breast cancer tissues. u-PA concentrations in the cytosol of 226 breast cancer tissues were determined prospectively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using cytosol fractions prepared for steroid hormone assay. The median follow-up period of the patients was 60 months. Various prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate analysis or multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional-hazards method. Patients with primary breast cancer containing high levels of u-PA had a significantly shorter disease-free survival than patients with low levels of u-PA antigens. In multivariate analysis, a high level of u-PA was an independent risk factor for disease-free survival, being independent of age, axillary node status, and estrogen receptor status. Among the major prognostic factors, a high u-PA antigen level, lymph node involvement, and a positive estrogen receptor status were the most important for predicting relapse-free survival (P=0.044, P<0.0001, P=0.0039). This first prospective study confirmed the prognostic significance of the u-PA antigen level in association with other major prognostic factors. The results of our present study suggest that u-PA in breast cancer tissue might be involved in breast cancer invasion and metastasis.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 20 November 1996 / Accepted: 9 June 1997
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shiba, E., Kim, S., Taguchi, T. et al. A prospective study on the prognostic significance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator levels in breast cancer tissue. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 123, 555–559 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004320050104
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004320050104