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Thromb Haemost 1999; 81(05): 705-710
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1614558
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Schattauer GmbH

Blast Cell-surface and Plasma Soluble Urokinase Receptor in Acute Leukemia Patients: Relationship to Classification and Response to Therapy

Satu Mustjoki
1   From the Department of Virology, University of Helsinki
,
Riitta Alitalo
2   Transplantation Laboratory, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki,
3   Department of Medicine, Division of Haematology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
,
Ross W. Stephens
4   Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Antti Vaheri
1   From the Department of Virology, University of Helsinki
› Author AffiliationsThis work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of the Academy of Finland, the Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, the Finnish Cancer Societies and the Paulo Foundation.
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Publication History

Received 14 September 1998

Accepted after revision 19 January 1999

Publication Date:
09 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Plasminogen activation in leukemia has been less well characterized than in other malignancies. However, the increased tendency to bleeding and tissue infiltration by leukemic cells are processes in which plasminogen activation may be involved. We have examined plasma and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction from 80 patients including 53 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia and 27 patients with other hematological disorders as well as 21 healthy controls. In 28 of 29 examined patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in two of three patients with hybrid leukemia we found urokinase receptor (uPAR) on the cell surface, while most (7/9) samples from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were negative for uPAR. The plasma mean value for soluble uPAR (suPAR) was significantly elevated in patients with AML and ALL. In AML the highest values were found in patients who had residual disease after several cycles of chemotherapy. Compared to controls the uPA antigen levels in patient plasmas were elevated and decreased along with uPAR during treatment. Our results suggest that cell surface uPAR may be a useful marker for leukemia classification and in our material a high level of plasma suPAR correlated with resistance to chemotherapy in AML.

 

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