title: Preoperative serum thrombopoietin levels are higher in patients with ovarian cancer than with benign cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic relevance of serum thrombopoietin (TPO) levels, we compared serum TPO levels between the patients with ovarian cancer and benign ovarian cysts. We also correlated serum TPO concentrations in ovarian cancer patients to know prognostic factors such as disease stage, tumor grade, histological subtype, and residual tumor mass.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative serum TPO levels were measured in women with epithelial ovarian cancer (n=51) and women with benign ovarian cysts (n=25) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum TPO concentration was significantly elevated in the ovarian cancer patients as compared to the benign patient controls. Platelet counts and TPO in the serum did not correlate in the ovarian cancer patients. However, using a TPO cutoff of 90 pg/ml and a CA125 cutoff of 30 units/ml, when both markers were elevated, the specificity was as high as 92%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum TPO concentrations may have a role in the diagnostic clinical setting for discerning benign from malignant ovarian tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Sami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsukishiro
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzumori
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzumori
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000097:blood*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D010976:Platelet Count; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D013926:Thrombopoietin