Expression and clinical significance of uPA in tissue of breast carcinoma

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator(uPA) in breast carcinoma tissue,to find out the relationship between tumor invasion and metastasis,and to disclose the mechanism of the tumor invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma.METHODS: Tissues were obtained from 102 patients with breast carcinoma and 30 ones without breast carcinoma.The expression of uPA was examined by the immunohistochemical technique(streptavidin-peroxidase conjugate method,S-P),and the results were analysed and correlated with clinicopathological tumor parameters.RESULTS: The positive incidence of uPA expression in 102 cases of breast carcinoma was 70.6%(72/102),which differentiated significanfly that of the control group(χ~2=16.0735,P=0.005).The expression of uPA were related to axillary lymph node metastasis and TNM stage,and the expressions of uPA were not related to age,tumor size and the histologic grade.CONCLUSIONS: uPA expression is closely related to the tumor invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma.uPA is involved in the processes leading to the degradation reaction of basement membrane and extracellular matrix,which can damage basement membrane and extracellular matrix leading to the tumor invasion and metastasis.Detection of this index may be helpful for judging biologic behavior of breast carcinoma,which suggests that it is a useful prognostic indicator for breast carcinoma.