title: Increased serum levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor in ovarian cancer.
abstract: Macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a cytokine that stimulates proliferation and differentiation of phagocytic cells. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor is produced by ovarian epithelial cancer cell lines and might provide a useful serum marker for the disease. Among sera from 69 patients with clinically apparent epithelial ovarian cancer, 47 (68%) had at least 2.5 ng/ml macrophage colony-stimulating factor, whereas only two of 80 apparently healthy donors (2.5%) had a comparable elevation of macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Circulating levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor did not correlate with serum levels of CA 125. Moreover, 14 of 25 ovarian cancer patients (56%) with clinically evident disease and normal levels of CA 125 (less than 35 U/ml) had elevated levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Among 29 patients with serum CA 125 levels less than 35 U/ml before positive surgical surveillance procedures, 9 (31%) had at least 2.5 ng/ml macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Elevated levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor were also found in patients with carcinomas from other primary sites and in 31% of 134 patients with benign diseases. If intercurrent benign disease can be taken into account, macrophage colony-stimulating factor deserves further evaluation in combination with CA 125 in monitoring ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Soper
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berchuck
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Clarke-Pearson
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bast
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor