[Expression of plasminogen activator system components in the gastric mucosa in portal hypertensive gastropathy].

OBJECTIVE: to study the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the gastric mucosal (GM) vascular endothelium and epithelial cells of patients with portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and those with portal hypertension (PH) without signs of PHG as compared to a control group.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: GM biopsy specimens from patients with PHG, those with PH without signs of PHG, and controls with the normal gastric mucosa were immunohistochemically examined.

RESULTS: Comparison of the expression of uPA in the GM vascular endothelium and epithelial vessels revealed no significant differences in the patient groups. The level of PAI-1 in the GM vessels was statistically significantly higher in the control group than in the groups of patients with PHG and PH without PHG. PAI-1 expression in the GM epithelial cells was significantly more commonly absent in the PHG group than in the control group. An analysis of an uPA and PAI-1 expression ratio showed a statistically significant predominance of the expression of uPA over its inhibitor in the GM vascular endothelium of the patients with PHG and those with PH without PHG as compared to the controls.

CONCLUSION: The predominance of uPA over PAI-1 in the GM vessels and epithelial cells can play a role in the development of GM bleeding.