title: The activity of cancer procoagulant in cases of uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is currently believed that cancer procoagulant (CP), an enzymatic protein, is a product of malignant neoplastic cells. The present study was designed to test whether it is also synthesized by benign neoplastic cells, namely uterine leiomyomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined the activity of CP in the blood serum of women with uterine leiomyomas (N = 24), normal women (N = 15), and genital cancer patients (N = 6) by the coagulative method according to Gordon and Benson. Also, the CP activity in 10% tissue homogenates of uterine leiomyomas, normal uterine muscle and tissues of cervical and endometrial carcinoma was determined by the chromogenic method according to Colucci et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CP activity in the sera of women with uterine leiomyomas was 181.1 seconds (s) +/- 19.9 s, in healthy women--293.2 s +/- 33.8 s, and in genital cancer patients--78.8 +/- 18.5 s (all differences: p < 0.001). Similarly, in homogenates of uterine leiomyomas the CP activity was 19.6 +/- 3.8 nmoles pNa/ml, in normal uterine muscle it was 13.2 +/- 2.2 nmoles pNa/ml, and in cancerous tissue--28.0 +/- 6.6 nmol pNa/ml (all values being significantly different from each other). There was a strong correlation (r = -0.8122; p < 0.001) between the CP activity in uterine leiomyomas and serum activity, suggesting that the source of the serum CP activity was from the leiomyoma. The coagulation time of 120 to 240 s by the Gordon and Benson method supported the diagnosis of uterine leiomyoma, and a value below 120 s--the suspicion of genital cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uterine leiomyomas, representing benign genital neoplasia, synthesize CP and are the likely origin of CP activity in blood, as has been described for malignant tumors, but to a lesser degree. There may be a role for CP as a tumor marker of genital neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jozwik
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Szajda
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Skrzydlewski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jozwik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sulkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C030910:cancer procoagulant