Prognostic value of intact and cleaved forms of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in a retrospective study of 518 colorectal cancer patients

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics shown together with medians and ranges for the different uPAR forms.

	Patients, n (%)	Events, n (%)	uPAR(I–III)median (range)^n fmol/ml	uPAR(I–III) + (II–III)median (range)^n fmol/ml	uPAR(I) median(range)^n fmol/ml
Gender
Female	210 (41)	129 (61)	40.4 (13.1–145.3)^202	106.1 (50.1–49.9)^210	20.2 (20.2–292.3)^196
Male	308 (59)	216 (70)	36.4 (10.2–131.8)^298	100.4 (40.0–326.1)^308	20.2 (20.2–98.6)^290
			p = 0.007	p = 0.07	p = 0.9
Dukes stage
A	51 (10)	10 (20)	32.0 (15.7–96.1)^48	92.9 (47.5–192.9)^51	20.2 (20.2–46.9)^48
B	191 (37)	96 (50)	38.1 (10.2–139.2)^184	104.1 (52.2–286.3)^191	20.2 (20.2–108.2)^176
C	156 (30)	112 (72)	34.6 (12.2–145.3)^153	90.8 (40.0–346.6)^156	20.2 (20.2–94.2)^150
D	120 (23)	120 (100)	50.8 (13.1 – 131.8)^115	124.6 (50.1–449.9)^120	20.2 (20.2–292.3)^112
			p<0.0001	p<0.0001	p<0.0001
Localization
Colon	298 (58)	187 (63)	39.9 (10.2–145.3)^284	104.9 (40.0–346.6)^298	20.2 (20.2–292.3)^273
Rectum	220 (42)	158 (53)	36.1 (13.8–125.2)^216	97.3 (47.5–449.9)^220	20.2 (20.2–135.1)^213
			p = 0.003	p = 0.002	p = 0.03

p = results of the hypothesis test (Wilcoxon Rank sum); testing differences in uPAR concentration in the three strata (gender, tumour stage and localization), n = the number of samples available.

Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier plots illustrating the estimates of survival probabilities for CRC patients stratified by the levels of the uPAR forms. The upper panel shows the survival estimates for uPAR(I) (a) dichotomized by the LOQ (20.2 fmol/ml). The two lower panels show the survival estimates for suPAR(I–III) (b) and suPAR(I–III)+(II–III)(c) in three groups using the tertiles as cut points. The tertiles for suPAR(I–III) were 32.2 and 46.4 fmol/ml, and 90.3 and 117.9 fmol/ml for suPAR(I–III)+(II–III). The p-values shown are for the log rank statistic. The number of patients at risk at 0, 24, 48 and 72 months in each strata are shown below each plot with the number of events (deaths) shown to the left.

Figure 2. Preoperative serum levels of uPAR(I), suPAR(I–III) and suPAR(I–III)+(II–III) and overall survival for patients with Dukes’ B and Dukes’ C cancer. The upper panel shows the Kaplan-Meier estimates stratified by uPAR(I) (a and b), the middle panel shows the estimates for suPAR(I–III) (c and d) and the lower panel shows the estimates for suPAR(I–III)+(II–III) (e and f). The respective tertiles were used as cut-points. The p-values shown are for the log rank statistic. The number of patients at risk at 0, 24, 48 and 72 months in each strata are shown below each plot with the number of events (deaths) shown to the left.

Table 2. Uni- and multivariable regression analyses in 483 colorectal cancer patients.

	Univariable analyses			Multivariable analyses
	HR	(95% CI)	p	HR	(95% CI)	p
Tumour stage
A vs. D	0.05	(0.03–0.09)		0.06	(0.04–0.11)
B vs. D	0.10	(0.07–0.13)	<0.0001	0.10	(0.07–0.14)	<0.0001
C vs. D	0.17	(0.13–0.23)		0.25	(0.18–0.34)
Localisation
rectum vs. colon	0.85	(0.68–1.05)	0.12	1.35	(1.07–1.70)	0.011
Gender
women vs. men	0.79	(0.64–099)	0.04	1.35	(1.07–1.69)	0.010
Age	1.02	(1.01–1.03)	0.0003	1.02	(1.01–1.03)	0.0007
uPAR(I)
above or below the LOQ	2.04	(1.60–2.59)	<0.0001	1.32	(1.02–1.71)	0.036
suPAR(I–III)(log2)	1.86	(1.55–2.22)	<0.0001	1.74	Not included	0.53*
suPAR(I–III) + (II–III)(log2)	2.51	(2.02–3.12)	<0.0001		(1.33–2.26)	<0.0001
CEA above or below 5 ng/ml	1.97	(1.59–2.44)	<0.0001		Not included	0.49*

The multivariable analysis included tumour stage, localisation, gender, age, uPAR(I), suPAR(I–III) and suPAR(I–III) + (II–III).(HR = Hazard rate; LOQ = limit of quantification; * = p-value to include).