Tissue plasminogen activator activity in prostatic cancer.

19 patients with carcinoma of the prostate and 6 controls with hyperplasia of the prostate, have been investigated to elucidate the relationship between tumor fibrinolytic activity, the degree of malignancy, tumor stage and metastatic spread. Significantly (p less than 0.001) higher tissue plasminogen activator activities were found in metastatic carcinoma compared to nonmetastatic carcinoma or hyperplasia of the prostate. Antibodies against human urokinase caused inhibition of urokinase and plasminogen activator activity from human prostatic carcinoma or hyperplasia. Antibody inhibition studies as well as physicochemical characteristics of the plasminogen activator produced by prostatic hyperplasia and carcinoma tissue indicate that this plasminogen activator is identical or similar to urokinase.