A Pilot Study of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator (uPA) Overexpression in the Brush Cytology of Patients with Malignant Pancreatic or Biliary Strictures

We have previously demonstrated that uPA is overexpressed in pancreatic tumors. In an attempt to diagnose these tumors earlier, we sought to determine whether uPA could be identified in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography obtained brushings in patients with malignant pancreatic and biliary strictures. Secondarily, uPA was measured in the serum of this patient population. uPA overexpression was identified in the cytologic tissue in 8 of 11 patients (72.7%). Serum analysis demonstrated a 2-fold higher concentration of uPA in the pancreaticobiliary cancer patients (1.27 versus 0.56 ng/mL; P=.0182). Also, uPA overexpression correlated with serum levels (P