Protein Z (PZ) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plasma levels in patients with previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
Boutsikas, G.; Terpos, E.; Markopoulos, A.; Papatheodorou, A.; Stefanou, A.; Georgiou, G.; Galani, Z.; Komninaka, V.; Telonis, V.; Anagnostopoulos, I.; Dimitrakopoulou, L.; Anargyrou, K.; Tsionos, K.; Christoulas, D.; Gonianaki, M.; Giannikos, T.; Kokoris, S.; Konstantopoulos, K.; Meletis, J.; Angelopoulou, M.K.; Travlou, A.; Vassilakopoulos, T.P.
Journal of BUON Official Journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology 22(4): 1022-1031
2017
ISSN/ISBN: 1107-0625 PMID: 28952223 Document Number: 691594
The role of Protein Z (PZ) in conditions, such as thrombosis, inflammation or cancer, is under investigation. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an acute phase reactant that promotes thrombosis and tumorigenesis. Subject of this work was to study PZ and PAI-1 in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), a malignancy with inflammatory background and relatively low incidence of thrombosis. Newly diagnosed patients were enrolled in the study. Healthy individuals were used as controls. PZ levels were higher in patients compared to controls (not significantly), while PAI-1 levels were significantly higher in patients. Both PZ and PAI-1 concentrations did not correlate with most of patients' characteristics. Lower PZ levels at diagnosis were associated with presence of B symptoms and positive final positron emission tomography (PET) and higher baseline PAI-1 levels with positive final PET, too. PZ had a declining trend, but PAI-1 increased initially and decreased thereafter, during the treatment period. Conclusively, PAI-1, but not PZ, seems to be an acute phase protein in HL. Lower PZ and higher PAI-1 levels at diagnosis may be indicative of aggressive disease. These results need further verification.