OVX1 as a marker for early stage endometrial carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Endometrial carcinoma is generally diagnosed only after the onset of postmenopausal bleeding. Although most patients with Stage I disease can be cured, the prognosis worsens significantly when the tumor is no longer confined to the uterine corpus. Serum CA 125 is elevated in only 10-20% cases of Stage I and II endometrial carcinoma. A serum tumor marker that can detect early stage endometrial cancer might aid in management of the disease.


METHODS
An OVX1 double-determinant radioimmunoassay was used to detect an epitope on a high-molecular-weight mucinlike glycoprotein found in the sera of 45 patients with endometrial cancer.


RESULTS
Apparently healthy persons had serum OVX1 antigen levels of 2.23 plus or minus 2.48 U/ml (mean +/- standard deviation). Elevated levels of OVX1 antigen (> 7.2 U/ml) were found in 5% of 184 healthy persons and in 64% of 45 patients with endometrial cancer. OVX1 antigen was elevated in 64% of 36 patients with Stage I, 50% of 2 patients with Stage II, 60% of 5 patients with Stage III, and each of 2 patients with Stage IV endometrial cancer, but only 8.6% of 58 patients with endometriosis. Elevation of serum OVX1 was found more frequently in patients with deep myometrial invasion and with poorly differentiated tumors (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The OVX1 antigen deserves further evaluation as a marker for early detection of endometrial cancers and as a prognostic factor for women with apparent early stage disease.
Xu
F J
FJ
Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Yu
Y H
YH
Daly
L
L
Anselmino
L
L
Hass
G M
GM
Berchuck
A
A
Rodriguez
G C
GC
Soper
J T
JT
Clarke-Pearson
D L
DL
Hollis
D
D
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006801:Humans; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006023:Glycoproteins; C086414:OVX1 antigen; D011506:Proteins; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor