REGULATION OF FIBRIN DEPOSITION BY MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a locally aggressive tumor that spreads by poorly understood mechanisms. Because neoplastic spread has been l inked to altered fibrin turnover, we used immunohistochemistry of nine MM and three fibrous tumors of the pleura to confirm in vivo fibrin d eposition and expression of selected coagulation aad fibrinolytic reac tants in MM. Tumor-associated fibrin was readily detectable at sites o f tissue invasion. Little fibrin was distributed within the tumor, but tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor, urokinase, urokina se receptor, and plasminogen activator inhibitors 1 and 2 were all det ected in either epithelioid or sarcomatous areas of MM. We used the MS -1 human pleural mesothelioma cell line to determine how expression of these reactants is regulated Fibrinolytic activity of MS-1 is mainly due to urokinase and is responsive to cytokine stimulation. Functional extrinsic activation and prothrombinase complexes assemble at the cel l surface. MM express procoagulants as well as fibrinolytic reactants in vivo and in vitro that promote local fibrin formation and remodelin g. Fibrin deposition occurs primarily at areas of tissue invasion and could promote local extension of this neoplasm. Sparsity of fibrin wit hin the central portions of the tumor stroma suggests that local resor ption of transitional fibrin occurs at sites of established MM.