Clinical significance of plasma tissue factor pathway and urokinase- type plas minogen activator system in cancer patients

Objective To evaluate variations in the plasma tissue factor (TF) and urokinase type plasminogen activator (u PA) system and their relationship with clinical cancer type, pathological classification and metastatic status in cancer patients Methods Plasma levels of TF and its inhibitor (TFPI), as well as u PA and its receptor (u PAR) were measured using ELISA in 76 patients with malignant tumors and 24 patients with benign tumors Results Plasma levels of TF and u PAR in the malignant tumor group were significantly higher than those of the benign tumor group and the normal control U PA and u PAR increased significantly in patients with esophageal and gastric cancer However, most of these parameters except TFPI did not vary according to pathological classification A significant elevation was evident in patients with local infiltration, lymph node involvement and distal metastasis, while u PAR only increased in the latter two categories Conclusions Both the TF and u PA systems are activated in cancer patients U PA and its receptor might prove to be a clinically useful marker for disease progression