BackgroundVEGF may play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer disease, for example in cell growth, proliferation and angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated plasma levels of this cytokine in comparison to plasma levels of a new biomarker - HE4 and the established tumor marker CA125 in ovarian cancer patients (100) as compared to control groups: patients with a benign ovarian tumor (80) and healthy subjects (50).MethodsPlasma levels of VEGF were determined by ELISA, HE4 and CA125 by CMIA method.ResultsThe results showed that levels of VEGF, CA125 and HE4 were significantly higher in ovarian cancer (OC) patients as compared to the both control groups. VEGF has demonstrated as high as comparative markers values of the diagnostic sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), the predictive values of positive and negative test results (PV-PR, PV-NR), and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) in early stages of cancer tested groups. The combined use of parameters studied resulted in the increase in the diagnostic criteria values and the AUC.ConclusionsThese findings suggest the usefulness of VEGF in the early diagnostics of ovarian cancer, especially in combination with CA125 and HE4, as a new biomarkers panel. Additionally, VEGF is the most useful tool in the diagnostics of locally advanced ovarian cancer without metastases. Investigated cytokine presented similar to HE4 usefulness in differentiation of OC according to its histopathlogical sub-type, and could be used especially in the diagnostics of endometrioid epithelial OC.

We investigated plasma levels of selected hematopoietic cytokines: stem cell factor (SCF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and the tumor marker cancer antigen (CA 125) in epithelial ovarian cancer patients as compared with control groups: benign ovarian tumor patients (cysts) and healthy subjects. Cytokine levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, CA 125 - using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay method. Our results have demonstrated significant differences in the concentrations of M-CSF, G-CSF, SCF (with the exception of GM-CSF), and CA 125 between the groups of ovarian cancer patients, cysts patients, and the healthy controls. When compared with CA 125, M-CSF has equal or higher values of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. The M-CSF area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was the largest from all the cytokines tested and slightly lower than the AUC of CA 125. These findings suggest the usefulness of M-CSF in diagnosing ovarian cancer, especially when discriminating between cancer and non-carcinoma lesions.

Abstract:In this study, we compared plasma levels and the diagnostic utility of hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) with SCC-Ag in cervical cancer patients in relation to control groups and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) patients and healthy subjects. Pretreatment plasma levels of HGFs (SCF, GM-CSF, G-CSF and M-CSF) were determined by the use of immunoenzyme assay (ELISA), and SCC-Ag by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). Significantly different concentrations of GM-CSF, G-CSF and M-CSF were observed in the group of patients with cervical cancer and CIN compared to the healthy controls. Significant differences in plasma levels of GM-CSF and M-CSF between cervical cancer and benign lesions patients were also found. The HGFs and SCC-Ag diagnostic specificities received high values. The diagnostic sensitivity and the predictive value of a positive and negative test result were higher for M-CSF than for antigen SCC in the cancer group. The M-CSF area under the ROC curve (AUC) was the largest from hematopoietic cytokines and SCC-Ag. These results suggest the potential utility of M-CSF as a good candidate for a marker of cervical cancer as well as benign lesions of this organ (CIN).

Hematopoietic cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of malignant diseases. This study compared the diagnostic utility of hematopoietic growth factors with commonly accepted tumor marker (CA 125) in the early stages (I and II) of endometrial cancer (EC) patients (65) in relation to the control groups: uterine myoma patients (40) and healthy subjects (45). The pretreatment plasma levels of interleukin 3, stem cell factor, granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) were determined by the use of immunoenzyme assay, and those of CA 125 were determined by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Our results have demonstrated significant differences in the concentration of cytokines and CA 125 between the groups of EC patients, uterine myoma patients, and the healthy controls. M-CSF has demonstrated equal to CA 125 or higher values of the diagnostic sensitivity, the predictive values of positive and negative test results, and the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve in the tested groups. These findings suggest the usefulness of M-CSF in the diagnosis of EC and uterine myomas.