PROTEASES ASSOCIATED WITH GYNECOLOGICAL TUMORS

Proteases are involved in the invasion and metastasis of tumours by de struction of the basal membrane and connective tissue. As levels in ma lignant tissue have both prognostic and therapeutic implications, we e xamined 318 frozen samples from malignant tumours and comparable non-m alignant tissue looking for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), tis sue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels with ELISA, as well as cathepsin D with RIA. Oestrogen receptor (ER) levels, progesterone receptor (PrgR) levels and epiderm al growth factor receptors (EGFR) were measured by biochemical methods at the same time. Significantly raised levels of uPA, PAI-1 and cathe psin D were found in malignant tissue, with PAI-1 particularly high in carcinoma of the cervix. Significantly raised tPA levels were found i n breast cancer tissue with a more favourable clinical prognosis, with a positive correlation between tPA and ER. No correlation could be sh own between uPA, PAI-1 and cathepsin D with other prognostic factors f or breast cancer. It could be that routine, uncomplicated estimation o f tumour-associated proteases such as uPA, tPA, PAI-1 and cathepsin D will provide an independent prognostic marker for therapeutic decision s with regard to gynaecological tumours and breast cancer.