title: High serum and ascitic soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha levels in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine if advanced epithelial ovarian cancer was associated with increased serum and ascitic levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2R alpha). Serum and ascitic fluid samples from 23 ovarian cancer patients were analyzed for sIL-2R alpha using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with the serum and peritoneal levels in 18 normal females. The samples were analyzed for CA-125 levels using a radioimmunoassay and the total protein was also measured. Normal individuals had low serum levels of sIL-2R alpha (367.5 +/- 44.6 U/mL), with similar levels of sIL-2R alpha in the normal peritoneal fluid (438.6 +/- 48.8 U/mL). In contrast, the serum and ascitic fluid levels in ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher (746.7 +/- 82.9 U/mL, P = .0006; 2,656.7 +/- 373.7 U/mL, P = .00002, respectively). The results for sIL-2R alpha were also significant when the levels were expressed per milligram of total protein. More importantly, in almost every ovarian cancer patient the ascitic sIL-2R alpha level far exceeded the serum level, a pattern also observed for CA-125. There was no correlation between the serum and ascitic sIL-2R alpha levels, or between the serum and ascitic CA-125 levels. Although the serum levels of sIL-2R alpha and CA-125 were elevated in the same patient, overall there was no correlation between the serum sIL-2R alpha and serum CA-125 levels, either when the levels were expressed in absolute units or per milligram of total protein. Similarly, there was no correlation between sIL-2R alpha and CA-125 levels in individual ascitic samples. While CA-125 levels may reflect an independent index of tumor burden, these results suggest that selective accumulation of sIL-2R alpha in the ascites may be one of the factors associated with the known nonresponsiveness of the infiltrating lymphocytes against ovarian carcinoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Michelini-Norris
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Nicosia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Djeu
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D001201:Ascites / Q000276:immunology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2