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Protease and plasminogen activator activity in human bladder carcinoma
British Journal of Urology
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Bladder cancer tissue shows lower non-specific protease activity but significantly higher plasminogen activator (PA) levels. Elevated PA in both tissue and urine suggests its potential role in bladder cancer management.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Oncology
- Urology
Background:
- Protease and plasminogen activator (PA) activities are implicated in tissue remodeling and cancer progression.
- Understanding enzyme activity in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify non-specific protease and plasminogen activator (PA) activity in normal and TCC human bladder tissues.
- To investigate PA levels in the urine of TCC patients compared to controls.
Main Methods:
- Assay of 14C-labelled globin cleavage in human bladder tissue extracts with and without plasminogen.
- Measurement of PA activity in acid-treated urine from TCC patients and healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Normal bladder tissue exhibited approximately 2-fold higher non-specific protease activity than TCC tissue.
- TCC tissue demonstrated nearly 4-fold higher PA activity compared to normal bladder epithelium.
- Urine from TCC patients showed significantly elevated PA activity versus controls.
Conclusions:
- Malignant transformation in bladder epithelial tissue is associated with increased PA levels in both tissue and urine.
- Elevated PA may serve as a potential biomarker for bladder cancer.
- Further research is warranted to evaluate PA determination in managing bladder cancer patients.