Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of larynx

OBJECTIVE:To study the expression and clinical significance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC). METHODS: Applying SABC immunohistochemical technique, the expressions of uPA and PAI-1 were studied in 51 patients with LSCC. Combined with clinical follow-up, relevance of this expression and conventional clinical pathological factors or prognosis was analyzed.RESULTS: The rates of the positive expression of uPA and PAI-1 were 64.7%(33/51)and 70.6% (36/51), respectively. There was a significant correlation between uPA expression and TNM stage or cervical lymph node status, either between PAI-1 expression and TNM stage or cervical lymph node status. Neither tumor size, T-category, nor grade was significantly related with the level of uPA or PAI-1 expression. Univariate analysis showed that uPA and PAI-1 as prognostic factors were of similar magnitude to cervical lymph node status. In the multivariate analysis, uPA and cervical lymph node status were found to be independent factors related with prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of uPA and PAI-1 are positively related with the stage of progression and cervical lymph node metastasis of LSCC, and they may play an important role in LSCC invasion and metastasis. The expression of uPA may indicate to poor prognosis.