Inhibin forms in serum from postmenopausal women with ovarian cancers

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) 1999-03, Vol.50 (3), p.381-386
• Main Authors: Robertson, David M., Cahir, Nicholas, Burger, Henry G., Mamers, Pamela, Groome, Nigel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; Female genital diseases; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; Granulosa Cell Tumor - blood; Granulosa Cell Tumor - diagnosis; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Inhibins - blood; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous - blood; Neoplasms, Cystic, Mucinous, and Serous - diagnosis; Ovarian Neoplasms - blood; Ovarian Neoplasms - diagnosis; Peptides - blood; Postmenopause - blood; Predictive Value of Tests; Prostatic Secretory Proteins; Radioimmunoassay; Tumors
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2265.1999.00656.x

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Previous studies have shown that serum inhibin as measured by α subunit‐directed radioimmunoassay (RIA) and inhibin A ELISA was elevated in postmenopausal women with mucinous and granulosa cell cancers, with the RIA showing a more frequent elevation than the inhibin A ELISA. It was thus hypothesised that these cancers may also produce inhibin B or the free α subunit. The aim of the study was to identify the forms of inhibin found in a range of ovarian cancers using a range of inhibin assays with varying specificities. DESIGN Serum samples obtained from women with ovarian cancer were assayed by inhibin B ELISA and Pro‐αC subunit ELISA and compared with inhibin RIA and inhibin A ELISA. PATIENTS Blood samples were obtained from 34 postmenopausal women (>55 years) with no history of endocrine disease and from women with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinomas (n = 66), mucinous cystadenocarcinomas (n = 20), granulosa cell tumours (n = 9 − 11), miscellaneous ovarian cancers (n = 46) and non ovarian cancers (n = 23). MEASUREMENTS Inhibin B and inhibin Pro‐αC subunit levels were determined by ELISA and compared to values obtained by RIA and inhibin A ELISA. Cancers were discriminated from controls based on values obtained 2SD above the geometric mean of the control values. RESULTS Granulosa cell tumours were detected by RIA and inhibin B ELISA (100%), Pro‐αC ELISA (90%) and inhibin A ELISA (77%). Mucinous tumours were detected by RIA (70%), inhibin B ELISA (60%), Pro‐αC ELISA (55%) and inhibin A (20%). Serous tumours were detected by RIA (35%) and the other assays (