title: Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptors in epithelial ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: The levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-R2) were measured in the serum of 52 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma as well as in 25 age and sex-matched normal controls. The mean serum level of sIL-R2 was increased in 37 patients (71.2%). Comparison of these levels to those of normal controls showed a highly statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Serum sIL-R2 levels were not related to histology, clinical stage or the presence of ascites (p = 0.58, p = 0.32 and p = 0.67, respectively), nor did they follow disease activity or response to chemotherapy. However, patients with higher pretreatment sIL-2R levels (more than 1200 U/ml) were found to have a longer survival (p < 0.02), possibly explained by the presence of activated lymphocytes and a better immune surveillance. We conclude that the serum level of sIL-R2: a) is elevated in ovarian cancer patients, b) has no relationship with histological subtypes, tumor burden or the presence of ascites, c) cannot serve as a valuable tumor marker for the monitoring of patient treatment, and d) has a prognostic value for survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bairaktari
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalef-Ezra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seferiadis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fountzilas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012995:Solubility; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2