title: Immunosuppressive acidic protein and CA 125 levels in patients with ovarian cancer.
abstract: The serum levels of immunosuppressive acid protein (IAP) and CA 125 were determined in 98 patients with ovarian cancer, in 20 patients with benign ovarian tumors and in a group of normal postmenopausal women as controls. On the basis of the mean values of normal controls (346.46 +/- 133.26 micrograms/ml), the IAP threshold was fixed at 613 micrograms/ml. Increased IAP levels were found in 70.4% of patients with ovarian cancer, in 25% of benign tumors and in 4.5% of normal women. Elevated levels of CA 125 were observed in 66.6% of cancers, in 40% of benign tumors and in 6.9% of controls. In particular, in early stage ovarian cancer the combined assay of the two markers increased by about 30% with respect to CA 125 alone. The simultaneous determination of IAP and CA 125 allowed an overall sensitivity of 84% without any significant reduction of specificity.
authors.affiliation: Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Panici
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mileo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ferrini
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C030193:immunosuppressive acidic protein