title: Serum inhibin A and inhibin B levels in epithelial ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  of our study was to examine serum inhibin A and inhibin B concentrations in ovarian cancer patients in relation to clinicopathological features and 5-year survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 90 epithelial ovarian cancer patients in our study, aged 45-81 years, who underwent optimal cytoreductive surgery. In all patients, serum inhibin A and inhibin B concentrations were measured using a two-step sandwich type enzyme immunoassay before surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group of patients with ovarian cancer median serum concentration of inhibin A was 3.87 pg/mL (0.96-10.09) and inhibin B was 13.9 pg/mL (5.1-45.0). Median concentrations of inhibin A and B in relation to FIGO stage and histological subtype did not differ significantly. Inhibin A levels were significantly higher in patients with lower grading (G1 and G2) in comparison to those with higher grade G3 (p=0.001). There were no differences in inhibin B concentrations in relation to grading. The Kaplan-Meier analyses demonstrated no differences in survival rate in relation to inhibin A levels, while there was a stepwise impairment of 5-years survival with increased inhibin B level. In the group of patients with inhibin B levels higher than 20 pg/ml the survival rate was lower (p=0,00625, log-rank test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Higher inhibin A serum levels were found in patients with highly differentiated ovarian carcinoma compared to the group of patients with a poorly differentiated cancer, which may confirm the influence of inhibin A on cell proliferation processes. 2. A significant importance of inhibin B was demonstrated in the prediction of death within less than a five year period. The probability of survival in patients featuring high inhibin B levels was lower with statistical significance. This may indicate the need for further studies on how to block the inhibin B activation pathway in the ovarian carcinoma therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walentowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krintus
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sadlecki
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grabiec
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mankowska-Cyl
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Angiology and Internal Diseases, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Dr. J. Biziel University Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sokup
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, L.Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walentowicz-Sadlecka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D017698:Postmenopause; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: C422362:inhibin A; C422364:inhibin B; D007265:Inhibins