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Query: UMLS:C0027651 (tumor)
 685,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) inhibits efficiently tumor cell invasion and the formation of metastasis. The anti-metastatic effect is dependent on the COOH-terminal domain II of UTI [UTI-(78-136)-peptide]. To develop a molecule that binds with high affinity to the urokinase (uPA) receptor (uPAR) on tumor cell surfaces, a bifunctional hybrid molecule [uPA-(1-134)-UTI-(78-136)] consisting of the uPAR-binding NH2-terminal fragment [UTI-(78-136)-peptide] of uPA at the NH2-terminus of UTI-(78-136)-peptide was produced in Escherichia coli by genetic engineering. The purified hybrid protein inhibited trypsin and plasmin 2-3-fold less effectively than UTI-(78-136)-peptide and was found to bind to human tumor cells via uPAR, which was confirmed by cell binding and competition experiments. Using a modified Boyden chamber and an artificial basement membrane, Matrigel, it was found that the hybrid protein is very effective at inhibiting invasion by uPAR-expressing human tumor cells. Sensitivities of tumor cells towards the anti-invasive effect of uPA-(1-134)-UTI-(78-136) correlated with the density of uPAR on human tumor cells. Furthermore, in the spontaneous metastasis model, the hybrid protein inhibited the formation of lung and/or lymphatic metastasis by human ovarian carcinoma and choriocarcinoma cells. The hybrid protein was much more effective than uPA-(1-134)-peptide, UTI-(78-136)-peptide, or UTI. We conclude that this approach extends the possibility of applying recombinant protein for therapeutic use in inhibition of human tumor cell metastasis.
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PMID:A bifunctional hybrid molecule of the amino-terminal fragment of urokinase and domain II of bikunin efficiently inhibits tumor cell invasion and metastasis. 965 84

Urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitors, plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-1) and type II (PAI-2), are supposed to be involved in the expression of the invasive and metastatic phenotype of cancer cells. However, clinical investigations on the prognostic significance of their levels in tumor tissue are difficult to realize because of the absence of a convenient method of measurement of these parameters. The aim of the present investigation was to set up a method allowing the measurement of these enzymes and of sex steroid receptor status in appropriate subcellular fraction(s) in conditions easily reproducible in routine. We found that a tissue homogenate prepared according to the method recommended [5] for current measurement of sex steroid receptors is appropriate for further distinct preparations. One aliquot is used for cytosol preparation; another can be treated by 2% Triton X-100 (vol/vol) and provide an extract containing the totality of uPA and PAI-1. The advantage of this procedure is that appropriate subcellular fractions can be derived from a unique homogenization step. Total uPA and PAI-1 are measured in a Triton extract with good performance as compared to previous investigations [4]. PAI-2 is measured in the same cytosol fraction used for sex steroid receptors and other parameters. Because of its simplicity and its high reliability, this method could be a useful tool in the investigation of uPA family proteases and analysis of their prognostic significance in early breast tumors.
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PMID:Tissue extraction procedures for investigation of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2 in human breast carcinomas. 969 96

B16 melanoma cells selected in mice for liver-specific metastasis (B16-LS9) overexpress a constitutively active form of the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor receptor (HGF/SFr), the product of the c-met proto-oncogene. HGF/SF can affect both invasion and growth of receptive cells. In fact, we show that overexpression of c-met in B16-LS9 cells results in a higher inducibility of two different proteolytic activities (uPA and gelatinase), in correlation with a stronger invasive and motility response to HGF/SF treatment. However, HGF/SF treatment inhibits growth of B16 cells, which might appear in contradiction with the observation that c-met overexpression and constitutive activation seems to be required for efficient liver colonization. However, this apparent discrepancy is resolved by the finding that liver-derived, but not lung-derived factor(s), can efficiently rescue B16-LS9 cells from the growth inhibitory effects of HGF/SF, while not changing their motility response. Therefore, overexpression of c-met in B16-LS9 cells might give a specific advantage in liver colonization, because specifically at this site B16-LS9 cells can take full advantage of the positive effects exerted by HGF/SF stimulation on motility and invasion, while the negative effects on growth are counteracted by other paracrine factor(s).
Tumour Biol 1998
PMID:Influence of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor on the metastatic phenotype of B16 melanoma cells. 970 24

In node-negative breast cancer, 70% of patients are cured by surgery alone and thus should be spared the necessity of systemic adjuvant treatment. Histomorphological and tumor biological prognostic factors may be employed to assess the patient's risk profile with regard to disease recurrence and death. To evaluate the relationship between tumor biological factors and the metastatic potential of primary breast cancer, proteolytic factors uPA, PAI-1, and cathepsin L, which are associated with tumor invasion and metastasis, were determined in breast cancer tissue extracts by ELISA and the values assessed by uni- and multivariate analysis as well as CART (classification and regression trees) in comparison with traditional prognostic factors. Cysteine protease cathepsin L, serine protease uPA, and the protease inhibitor PAI-1 were determined by ELISA in extracts of primary tumors of 103 node-negative breast cancer patients and values assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis in comparison with traditional prognostic factors (tumor size, steroid hormone receptor status, grading, vessel invasion, menopausal status). Median follow-up of patients still alive at time of follow-up was 56.5 months (range 34-88). PAI-1, cathepsin L, tumor size, grading, and steroid hormone receptor status but not uPA, vessel invasion, and menopausal status were of prognostic relevance for disease-free survival (univariate analysis). Multivariate analysis of disease-free survival (Cox proportional hazards model) disclosed PAI-1 (relative risk of 8.6, p = 0.0001) to be the only strong and statistically independent prognostic factor. By CART-analysis, however, the combination of PAI-1 (< or = 14 ng/mg protein) and cathepsin L (< or = 1,100 ng/mg protein) allowed the identification of a subgroup comprising 68% of the node-negative breast cancer patients having a very low risk of disease recurrence (2/70; incidence of 0.8% per year) versus the high-risk group with PAI-1 (> 14 ng/mg protein) and cathepsin L (> 1,100 ng/mg protein) showing an increased recurrence rate (14/33; incidence of 8.6% per year). We conclude that by the combined determination of PAI-1 and cathepsin L tumor levels low-risk node-negative breast cancer patients may be identified. These patients most probably will not benefit from systemic adjuvant therapy.
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PMID:Identification of low-risk node-negative breast cancer patients by tumor biological factors PAI-1 and cathepsin L. 970 80

Tumor biological factors uPA, PAI-1, cathepsin D, S-phase fraction (SPF), MIB1 (Ki-67), p53, and HER-2/neu were assessed in 100 node-negative breast cancer patients. Their prognostic impact on disease-free (DFS) as well as overall survival (OS) was compared to that of traditional factors tumor size, grading, and steroid hormone receptor status. Antigen levels of uPA, its inhibitor PAI-1, and cathepsin D were determined in tumor tissue extracts by immunoenzymatic methods. SPF was determined by flow cytofluorometry, MIB1, p53, and HER-2/neu by immunohistochemistry in adjacent routinely formalin-fixed paraffin sections. Median follow-up in all patients still alive at time of analysis was 76 months. Univariate analysis determined PAI-1 (p = 0.0001), uPA (p = 0.0437), MIB1 (p = 0.0214), and SPF (p = 0.0248) as statistically significant prognostic factors for DFS. In contrast, tumor size, steroid hormone receptor status, grading, p53, HER-2/neu, and cathepsin. D failed to be of prognostic value. In multivariate analysis, including the statistically significant prognostic factors PAI-1, uPA, MIB1, and SPF, only PAI-1 (p = 0.0003, relative risk: 4.7) proved to be of independent statistical significance for DFS. Regarding OS, PAI-1 was the only statistically significant prognostic factor in univariate (p = 0.0001) as well as multivariate analysis (p = 0.0000, relative risk: 7.1). Thus, factors describing the invasive and metastatic capacity of tumor cells (uPA, PAI-1) and factors related to their proliferative activity (SPF, MIB1) provide valuable prognostic information in node-negative breast cancer patients.
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PMID:Prognostic impact of tumor biological factors on survival in node-negative breast cancer. 970 82

The receptor for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPAR; CD87) is a 50- to 65-kDa glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein expressed by leukocytes and tumor cells where it facilitates uPA-dependent, plasmin-mediated pericellular proteolysis during cellular invasion. Because uPAR is inducibly shed into culture supernatants and human body fluids, we tested the hypothesis that soluble uPAR (suPAR) can bind to the plasma membrane of hematopoietic cells where it might modulate their invasive phenotype. As measured by flow cytometry, recombinant biotinylated-suPAR (B-suPAR) bound in a specific fashion to THP-1 leukemia cells and blood PMNs and monocytes (but not to lymphocytes). B-suPAR also demonstrated specific binding to a variety of leukemic lines, including cells that are positive or negative for membrane uPAR expression. Binding of B-suPAR to THP-1 cells was enhanced four- to sevenfold by 24-h exposure of cells to PMA or by co-incubation with uPA ligand (but not its isolated catalytic and binding fragments). Conversely, binding of B-suPAR to PMNs was unaffected by brief exposure to fMLP, and was inhibited by co-incubation with uPA. B-suPAR biding to PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells in the presence of uPA was further enhanced by acid washing (removing endogenous uPA) but was partially inhibited by treatment of cells with trypsin. Pretreatment of PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells and unstimulated PMNs with soluble sugars, calcium chelators, and antibodies specific for integrins or extracellular matrix proteins failed to consistently block the binding of B-suPAR. Whereas the binding of suPAR did not measurably affect cell-associated plasmin activation, suPAR did competitively inhibit the binding of exogenous uPA to membrane-associated uPAR. These observations support the hypothesis that suPAR can bind specifically to trypsin-sensitive receptors expressed by certain normal and neoplastic hematopoietic cells where its binding is variably influenced by uPA ligand.
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PMID:A soluble form of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) can bind to hematopoietic cells. 971 60

The human ovarian cancer cell line OV-MZ-19, established from a patient with cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary, expressing thrombomodulin (TM), a cell surface receptor for the serine protease thrombin, interacts with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies having different specificity for TM. These antibodies detect TM antigen by means of flow cytofluorometry, laser scanning microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and ELISA. Therefore a highly sensitive ELISA for TM antigen was established using two different monoclonal antibodies to quantify TM in tissue extracts and biological fluids, e.g. peritoneal malignant ascites. Primary malignant ovarian tumors and metastases of the omentum and intestine contain TM antigen as determined by ELISA but in significantly lower concentrations than benign ovarian tumors (p=0.0056). In contrast, malignant ascitic fluid of patients with advanced ovarian cancer (FIGO IIIc) contain significantly elevated concentrations of soluble TM than benign peritoneal exudates (p=0.0003). Immunoaffinity purified ascites-derived TM efficiently activates protein C. Protein C activation of ascites-derived TM as well as TM expressed by the tumor cells is inhibited by the monoclonal antibodies. TM abrogates the procoagulant activity of thrombin, reduces pericellular thrombin via internalization, accelerates the thrombin-mediated inactivation of pro-uPA, and the EGF domains of TM exhibit mitogenic activity towards fibroblasts and tumor cells. Both, thrombin and pro-uPA play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Therefore, downregulation and/or release of TM into ascitic fluid may play an important role in the malignant behavior of tumor cells.
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PMID:Thrombomodulin, a receptor for the serine protease thrombin, is decreased in primary tumors and metastases but increased in ascitic fluids of patients with advanced ovarian cancer FIGO IIIc. 973 90

High levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in tissue extracts have been associated with poor prognosis in many epithelial cancers. Ovarian cancers contain a higher concentration of PAI-1 than benign ovarian tumors or normal ovaries. Reports, however, on the prognostic value of PAI-1 content in ovarian cancers have been conflicting. We used immunohistochemistry to study the primary and metastatic tissues from 131 epithelial ovarian cancer cases. This group has been previously characterized for the expression of urokinase (uPA), uPA receptor, PAI-2 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1). The intensity and extent of staining for PAI-1 in the tumor epithelium was scored. Kaplan-Meier curves of survival were compared using the log-rank test. The Cox regression model was utilized for multivariate analysis. Approximately 50% of the primary tumors and metastases expressed PAI-1. Among invasive stages III and IV patients, those whose primary tumors expressed PAI-1 had a shorter overall survival. The combination of strong expression of PAI-1 and expression of uPA was a highly significant factor for short disease-free and overall survival. Similar results were seen with the combination of high PAI-1 and low PAI-2 expression. Strong PAI-1 expression was significantly associated with expression of uPA receptor or CSF-I in the tumor epithelium, but not with standard clinical parameters, and was an independent prognostic factor for poor survival on multivariate analysis. Our results show that PAI-1 expression in the primary tumor epithelium is an independent poor prognostic factor for survival, underscoring the tumor protective role of PAI-1 in ovarian cancer biology.
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PMID:Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is an independent poor prognostic factor for survival in advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer patients. 976 Nov 11

Overexpression of tissue factor (TF) is characteristically observed in advanced pancreatic cancer and has been associated with invasion and metastasis. Functional responses of TF activation are here investigated using as a model system the human pancreatic cancer cell lines SW979 (which overexpresses TF) and MIAPaCa2 (which does not express detectable levels). After stimulation of these cell lines with factor VIIa (FVIIa), the only known TF ligand, expression of urokinase receptor (uPAR) gene was up-regulated in SW979 cells in a dose-dependent manner but not in MIAPaCa2 cells. Interestingly, urokinase (uPA) and its specific inhibitor PAI-1 were not up-regulated. Exposure to functionally inactivated FVIIa did not show any effect on uPAR expression on SW979 cells despite binding to TF with higher efficiency. The neutralizing anti-TF antibody 5G9 blocked the FVIIa-induced up-regulation of uPAR completely, whereas hirudin failed to block this up-regulation. Treatment of SW979 cells with Factor Xa did not up-regulate the expression of uPAR gene, whereas treatment with FVII induced the same level of enhanced uPAR gene expression as that with FVIIa. In the matrigel invasion assay, enhanced invasion of SW979 cell line induced by FVIIa was completely inhibited by anti-TF antibody and alpha2-antiplasmin. Moreover, the endogenous levels of uPAR gene expression were significantly correlated with the level of TF gene expression in 19 human cancer cell lines (P < 0.05). These data suggest that up-regulation of uPAR expression by tumor cells leading to tumor invasion is induced through the TF-FVIIa pathway rather than TF-initiated thrombin generation. This is the first report that TF may be one of the key receptors that can up-regulate expression of the plasminogen activator receptor in human cancer cells to enhance tumor invasion and metastasis.
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PMID:Enhanced expression of urokinase receptor induced through the tissue factor-factor VIIa pathway in human pancreatic cancer. 976 79

We have described recently a panel of metastasis-associated antigens expressed on a rat pancreatic tumor. One of these molecules, recognized by the monoclonal antibody C4.4 and named accordingly C4.4A, was under physiological conditions expressed only in the gravid uterus and on epithelial of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The cDNA of the antigen has been isolated and cloned. The 1,637 b cDNA codes for a 352 amino acid long glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol (GP) anchored molecule, whose molecular weight varies in different cells between 94-98 kD according to the degree of N- and O-glycosylation. Data base searches have revealed a low degree of homology to the receptor for the plasminogen activator (uPAR). After intrafootpad and intravenous application of C4.4A transfected and mock-transfected tumor cells, an increased number of lung nodules was detected with the former, whereby the individual metastatic nodules amalgamated without any encapsulation of the tumor tissue. Furthermore, C4.4A is involved in adhesion to laminin and, although transfection of a non-metastasizing tumor line with the molecule was not sufficient, constitutively C4.4A-positive tumor cells penetrated through matrigel. This process could be completely prevented by C4.4. Finally, we could demonstrate that uPA, albeit weakly, bound to the C4.4A molecule. In view of the observed influence of C4.4A on metastasis formation and matrix penetration it is tempting to speculate that this newly described metastasis-associated molecule may exert functional activity similar to the uPAR, i.e. via activation of matrix degrading enzymes. By the very restricted expression of the molecule in the adult organism, modulation of C4.4A could well be of therapeutic interest.
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PMID:Cloning and functional characterization of a new phosphatidyl-inositol anchored molecule of a metastasizing rat pancreatic tumor. 978 43


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