Y. Takeuchi et al., EXPRESSION OF PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATORS AND THEIR INHIBITORS IN HUMAN PANCREATIC-CARCINOMA - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY, The American journal of gastroenterology, 88(11), 1993, pp. 1928-1933
Expression of plasminogen activators (PA), tissue type (t-PA) and urok
inase type (u-PA), as well as PA inhibitors (PAI), type-1 (PAI-1) and
type 2 (PAI-2), were investigated immunohistochemically in 97 human pa
ncreatic carcinomas. u-PA expression predominated in pancreatic carcin
omas, compared with t-PA [u-PA expression in 76 specimens (78.4%) and
t-PA in eight specimens (8.2%)]. PAI-1 expression was detected in 80 c
arcinoma specimens (82.5%) and PAI-2 in 79 carcinoma specimens (81.4%)
. PAI-2 expression was significantly lower in carcinomas with peritone
al metastasis (p < 0.02). Strong PAI-2 expression was associated with
significantly higher survival than negative or weak PAI-2 expression (
p < 0.05). We conclude that immunohistochemical analysis of PAI-2 expr
ession in pancreatic carcinomas may yield important prognostic in form
ation.