Interleukin-7 and suppression of local peritoneal immunity in ovarian carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) secretion of interleukin-7 (IL-7).


METHODS
Levels of IL-7 were assayed by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay and IL-7 mRNA, and protein expression in tissues and cell lines were detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The median serum IL-7 level in patients with EOC (32 cases; 32.49 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that of patients with benign tumors (16 cases; 7.59 pg/ml) and healthy women (16 cases; 10.64 pg/ml) (P<0.05). The median peritoneal fluid IL-7 level in patients with EOC (17.39 pg/ml) was slightly higher than that of patients with benign tumors (14.09 pg/ml), but not significantly so (P>0.05). There were positive correlations between the serum and peritoneal fluid IL-7 levels in both ovarian cancer and benign group (P<0.05, both). Only two EOC specimens expressed IL-7 mRNA, and no IL-7 protein positive was found in any specimens.


CONCLUSIONS
Epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells rarely express IL-7, and IL-7 levels are decreased in the ascitic fluid of patients with EOC.
Xie
X
X
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital, Medical School of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. xiex@mail.hz.zj.cn
Ye
D
D
Chen
H
H
Lu
W
W
Cheng
B
B
Zhong
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000276:immunology; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D015851:Interleukin-7; D012333:RNA, Messenger