Fibrinogen mediates bladder cancer cell migration in an ICAM-1-dependent pathway

Fibrinogen (fg), present in tumor matrices, has been demonstrated to be determinant in metastatic potential. We have recently shown that fg/ICAM-1 interactions are involved in leukocyte migration across endothelial cell monolayers. Using bladder transitional cell carcinoma as a model, we will show in this study that bladder high grade tumor cell lines express ICAM-1, and that this expression induces an fg-mediated migration. This phenomenon was dependent on ICAM-1/fg interaction as well as RhoA activity. ICAM-1 was concentrated in focal adhesion plaques when tumor cells were allowed to adhere on immobilized fg, suggesting a role in cell migration. The addition of fg induced a 3- to 6-fold enhancement of bladder tumor cell migration through HUVEC monolayers. This process was inhibited by an anti-ICAM-1 antibody blocking fg binding, demonstrating that ICAM-1/fg interaction was involved in the extravasation process. Finally, immunohistological studies revealed that the expression of ICAM-1 was closely associated with an infiltrative histological phenotype.