Multiple immunoreactive inhibin proteins in serum from postmenopausal women with epithelial ovarian cancer.
Inhibin is an ovarian protein previously shown, using a nonspecific assay, to be elevated in serum of women with ovarian cancer. However, inhibin is secreted in multiple biochemical forms, including dimeric inhibin A and B and alpha inhibin precursors (pro-alphaC), each of which can now be specifically measured. We have examined the secretion of inhibin B and pro-alphaC inhibin in serum from women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) for the first time, and have compared these analytes to inhibin A and total inhibin (inhibin A + B + pro-alphaC) as potential serum markers for EOC in postmenopausal women. Of all the immunoreactive inhibin proteins studied, the best serum marker was pro-alphaC, with 22% of women with EOC having levels that exceeded the range of values in women without EOC. Since CA 125 and pro-alphaC levels were not significantly correlated, combination of these markers resulted in 87% of EOC cases having elevated preoperative serum levels, a 9% increase over CA 125 alone. These data suggest that alpha inhibin secretion, especially pro-alphaC, may be useful in addition to CA 125 as a serum marker for EOC in postmenopausal women.
Lambert-Messerlian
G M
GM
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, USA.
Steinhoff
M
M
Zheng
W
W
Canick
J A
JA
Gajewski
W H
WH
Seifer
D B
DB
Schneyer
A L
AL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D017698:Postmenopause
D007265:Inhibins