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Serum Levels of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator in Healthy Dogs and Oncologic Canine Patients


Affiliations
1 Department of Veterinary Clinics, University Lusofona of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande 376, Lisbon, Portugal
2 Department of Veterinary Clinics, Biomedical Sciences Institute of Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, Porto, Portugal
3 Department of Population Studies, Biomedical Sciences Institute of Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, Porto, Portugal
4 Animal Science and Study Centre/Food and Agrarian Sciences and Technologies Institute (CECA/ICETA), P. Gomes Teixeira, Portugal
 

Aim: Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) has been scarcely studied in veterinary oncology. The aim of this study was to determine the uPA serum concentrations in healthy and oncologic canine patients and to investigate its potential value as a tumor biomarker.
Materials and Methods: Serum uPA concentrations of healthy and oncologic canine patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Their relationships with the dogs’ health status and tumor characteristics were analyzed through ANOVA and independent t-test.
Results: There were no significant differences between mean serum values (±standard deviation) of healthy dogs (0.19±0.13 ng/ml) and oncologic canine patients (0.22±0.33 ng/ml), or between dogs with benign or malignant tumors, and with or without metastases, although the latter tended to show higher uPA serum levels.
Conclusion: This is the first study describing the uPA serum levels in dogs. Although its results do not support uPA as a tumor biomarker, higher uPA levels in dogs with metastatic neoplasms may reflect the role of the enzyme in tumor progression.

Keywords

Biomarker, Dogs, Neoplasms, Serum, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator.
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  • Serum Levels of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator in Healthy Dogs and Oncologic Canine Patients

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Authors

Sofia C. Ramos
Department of Veterinary Clinics, University Lusofona of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande 376, Lisbon, Portugal
Augusto J. de Matos
Department of Veterinary Clinics, Biomedical Sciences Institute of Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, Porto, Portugal
Joao Niza Ribeiro
Department of Population Studies, Biomedical Sciences Institute of Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, Porto, Portugal
Liliana R. Leite-Martins
Department of Veterinary Clinics, Biomedical Sciences Institute of Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, R. Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, Porto, Portugal
Rui R. F. Ferreira
Animal Science and Study Centre/Food and Agrarian Sciences and Technologies Institute (CECA/ICETA), P. Gomes Teixeira, Portugal
Ines Viegas
Department of Veterinary Clinics, University Lusofona of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande 376, Lisbon, Portugal
Andreia A. Santos
Department of Veterinary Clinics, University Lusofona of Humanities and Technologies, Campo Grande 376, Lisbon, Portugal

Abstract


Aim: Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) has been scarcely studied in veterinary oncology. The aim of this study was to determine the uPA serum concentrations in healthy and oncologic canine patients and to investigate its potential value as a tumor biomarker.
Materials and Methods: Serum uPA concentrations of healthy and oncologic canine patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Their relationships with the dogs’ health status and tumor characteristics were analyzed through ANOVA and independent t-test.
Results: There were no significant differences between mean serum values (±standard deviation) of healthy dogs (0.19±0.13 ng/ml) and oncologic canine patients (0.22±0.33 ng/ml), or between dogs with benign or malignant tumors, and with or without metastases, although the latter tended to show higher uPA serum levels.
Conclusion: This is the first study describing the uPA serum levels in dogs. Although its results do not support uPA as a tumor biomarker, higher uPA levels in dogs with metastatic neoplasms may reflect the role of the enzyme in tumor progression.

Keywords


Biomarker, Dogs, Neoplasms, Serum, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator.