Urokinase-type plasminogen activator in endothelial cells during acute inflammation of the appendix.

Urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activators (u-PA and t-PA) were identified immunohistochemically in normal and inflamed human appendices by means of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. In addition, extracts of the tissues were analyzed for u-PA and t-PA by ELISA. Twelve appendices (five normal and seven with acute inflammation) were analyzed. In the normal appendices, there was a strong staining of the endothelial cells for t-PA, whereas there was negative staining for u-PA. In contrast, the endothelial cells in the inflamed appendices showed u-PA immunoreactivity, and negative or very weak reactions for t-PA. In the inflamed appendix, there was also a labeling of u-PA in fibroblast-like cells and in interstitial areas. The specificity of the staining was supported by a variety of staining controls and also by analysis of tissue extracts with ELISA, showing that on the average the inflamed appendices contained more than twice as much mu-PA per mg of protein as the normal appendices and less than one third of the amount of t-PA.