title: Clinical significance of serum Dkk-3 in patients with gynecological cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The expression of Dkk-3, as a number of the Dkk family was different in different cancer. Because Dkk-3 encodes a secreted protein, we investigated whether the Dkk-3 protein is secreted into the sera of patients with gynecological cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of Dkk-3 protein were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the sera of 104 patients with gynecological cancer: 36 with ovarian, 40 with cervical and 28 with endometrial cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of Dkk-3 protein in patients with ovarian cancer [25.54 (7.99) pg/mL] was lower than in normal individuals [42.08 (14.89) pg/mL] (P = 0.000). But serum levels of Dkk-3 protein in patients with cervical [166.39 (300.68) pg/mL] (P = 0.013) and endometrial cancers [73.64 (23.36) pg/mL] (P = 0.000) were higher than in normal individuals. The serum levels of Dkk-3 protein were associated with clinical stage in patients with cervical and endometrial cancers. In patients with ovarian cancer, the serum levels of Dkk-3 protein were associated with lymphatic metastasis. In patients with cervical cancer, the serum levels of Dkk-3 protein were associated with tumor diameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dkk-3 protein detection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as molecular markers can contribute to detection and diagnosis of gynecological cancer, especially for ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. jiangt@sj-hospital.org
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shizhuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shulan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D018925:Chemokines; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D012372:ROC Curve; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018925:Chemokines; C498624:DKK3 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins