Significance and Expression of uPA in Naspharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression and role of urokinase-type plasminogen activator(uPA) in the invasion and metastasis of NPC.Methods Expression of uPA gene in 55 surgically resected NPC tissuses were detected by RT-PCR assay and immunohistochemical staining.Then the relationship between uPA expression and NPC clinical pathological features was explored.Results There were uPA gene and protein expression in NPC tissues.uPA protein was located in tumor cell cytoplasm and/or cell membrance.uPA expression was higher in cancerous tissues with lymphatic metastasis than that without lymphatic metastasis(P0.01).uPA expression was higher in TNM Ⅲ～Ⅳ stage of cancerous tissues than that in Ⅰ～Ⅱ stages(P0.01).Conclusion Expression of uPA is correlated to invasion and metastasis of NPC.