Recombinant alpha-2b-interferon dynamic test as a potential tool in predicting disease status during second look in ovarian cancer. A preliminary report.
The circulating levels of a 90-kilodalton (KD) tumor-associated antigen were measured in the blood of 26 patients with ovarian cancer in clinical remission who received a short course of recombinant alpha-2b-interferon (rIFN-alpha-2b, 3 million U/m2/d intramuscularly for 3 days) before second-look procedures. The administration of rIFN-alpha-2b to 90-KD antigen-positive patients produced a slight increase of the marker. However, in patients without the marker but with evidence of disease, a remarkable increase above the cutoff level was observed. Less pronounced modifications of 90-KD antigen serum levels were found in patients with no disease at second look. Moreover, considering the 90-KD antigen mean percentage increase, the dynamic test with rIFN-alpha-2b was able to eliminate five of six false-negative results obtained with the 90-KD antigen basal assay alone. The sensitivity of the assay increased to 92% after IFN compared with 54% for the 90-KD antigen assay alone. An increase (greater than 100% above pretreatment titer) of 90-KD antigen levels during the test also was observed in four patients with no evidence of disease at second look. In two of these false-positive cases, recurrence of disease was observed 13 and 24 months later. At the time of this analysis, none of the patients with a negative second look and negative dynamic test had relapsed. These results suggest that the dynamic test with rIFN-alpha-2b might be a new tool to assess disease status in patients with ovarian cancer before second-look procedures.
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
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G
Scambia
P B
PB
Panici
G
G
Baiocchi
A
A
Gallo
G
G
Laurelli
S
S
Iacobelli
S
S
Mancuso
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins