Plasminogen activators, plasminogen activator inhibitors and procoagulant analyzed in twenty human tumor cell lines

We have analyzed the CM of 20 human tumor cell lines for the presence of PA, PA-I and PC. Most of the cell lines expressed PA activity as measured by a radioiodinated fibrin plate assay. The urinary type and tissue-type PA activities were specifically quantified by means of purified inhibitory antibodies. U-PA and/or t-PA antigen, as measured by radioimmunoassays, were detected in all but 4 of the CM and were generally 10 times more concentrated than PA activity, indicating the presence of specific PA-Is. Analysis of CM by electrophoresis followed by fibrin-agarose zymography demonstrated the presence not only of free but also of inhibitor-complexed PA. Affinity purification demonstrated that 8/20 cell lines expressed detectable PA-I activity. The PA-I1 and PA-I2 inhibitors were most frequently observed, while PN was recovered only from CM of the HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell line. PC activity, as measured by the plasma recalcification time method, was found in 9/20 CM. It was of the thromboplastin tissue factor type since most of its activity was lost when assayed with a Factor VII-deficient plasma.