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 47,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Interleukin-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine with a wide range of effects, including induction of B-cell and cytotoxic T-cell differentiation, and induction of acute phase reactant production by hepatocytes. Interleukin-6 also can act as an autocrine growth factor in malignancy. Various cell types produce interleukin-6, including T and B cells, monocytes, fibroblasts, and some solid tumor cells. In previous work we detected the production of substantial amounts of interleukin-6 by human ovarian cancer cells, including the ovarian cancer cell lines CAOV-3, OVCAR-3, and SKOV-3, and several primary ovarian tumor cultures. In this study we retrospectively examined 90 separate serum specimens for interleukin-6 in 36 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. The mean serum interleukin-6 concentration of those ovarian cancer patients with macroscopic disease (n = 57) was 0.26 +/- 0.04 U/ml (mean +/- SEM). Healthy adult donors have interleukin-6 serum levels of 0.12 +/- 0.03 U/ml. Sixteen of 21 ovarian cancer patients with macroscopic disease (76%) had elevated (greater than 0.20 U/ml) levels of serum interleukin-6, with levels approaching 1 U/ml in some patients (p less than 0.01). Of those nine patients with bulky tumor (residual greater than 2 cm), eight (89%) had an elevated interleukin-6 level (mean, 0.31 +/- 0.05), while eight of 12 (66%) with minimal residual disease (less than 2 cm) had elevated levels. Only two of 15 (13%) patients who were in clinical remission and who had microscopic disease had elevated values. Of the 36 patients, 22 were CA 125 negative (less than 35 U/ml), and of these, four had elevated interleukin-6 levels. Of the 14 patients with an elevated CA 125 level, 12 (86%) had elevated interleukin-6 levels. In those 16 patients in whom serial levels of interleukin-6 were measured, rising levels were found over a 3 to 4 month interval in nine (56%); this correlated with tumor progression. Furthermore, the subsequent survival of patients was shown to correlate with the level of interleukin-6, such that patients whose levels were elevated greater than 0.20 U/ml interleukin-6 survived a mean of 12.5 months, compared with 27.2 months for patients with normal levels (p less than 0.001). These data support the concept that interleukin-6 may be a useful tumor marker in some patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, as it correlates with the tumor burden, clinical disease status, and survival.
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PMID:Serum interleukin-6 levels correlate with disease status in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. 201 24

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we assessed the efficacy of an ACTH(4-9) analogue, Org 2766, in the prevention of cisplatin neuropathy in 55 women with ovarian cancer. The analogue was given subcutaneously in a dose of 0.25 mg (low dose) or 1 mg (high dose) per square meter of body-surface area before and after treatment with cisplatin and cyclophosphamide (75 and 750 mg per square meter every three weeks). The threshold of vibration perception was used as the principal measure of neurotoxicity. After four cycles of chemotherapy, the mean (+/- SEM) threshold value for vibration perception in the placebo group increased from 0.67 +/- 0.12 to 1.61 +/- 0.43 microns of skin displacement (P less than 0.0001). In the high-dose treatment group, there was no increase in the threshold value after four cycles (from 0.54 +/- 0.12 to 0.50 +/- 0.06 micron). After six cycles of chemotherapy, the threshold value was 5.87 +/- 1.97 microns in the placebo group (more than an eight-fold increase from base line), as compared with 0.88 +/- 0.17 micron (less than a twofold increase) in the high-dose treatment group (P less than 0.005). In the high-dose group, fewer neurologic signs and symptoms were recorded than in the placebo group. With the lower dose of the analogue, these protective effects were less prominent. No side effects were seen after treatment with Org 2766. The rates of clinical response to chemotherapy were similar in all groups. These results suggest that Org 2766 can prevent or attenuate cisplatin neuropathy without adversely affecting the cytotoxic effect of the drug.
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PMID:Prevention of cisplatin neurotoxicity with an ACTH(4-9) analogue in patients with ovarian cancer. 215 70

Prospective and retrospective studies have suggested that serum vitamin A and total cholesterol levels may be associated with cancer. Our study showed that the mean (+/- SEM) concentrations of serum vitamin A 489 +/- 33.28 (mean +/- SEM micrograms/liter and serum total cholesterol 174.7 +/- 8.96 (mean +/- SEM) mg/dl from ovarian cancer patients in Singapore were significantly lower than the respective values of 668 +/- 25.10 (mean +/- SEM) microgram/liter and 210.7 4.48 (mean +/- SEM) mg/dl from noncancerous control subjects (P less than 0.0001 for both compounds). In addition, ovarian cancer patients did not show significantly lower serum triglyceride levels than the control subjects. Age did not significantly correlate the serum vitamin A and total cholesterol concentrations, but there was correlation with respect to the serum triglyceride levels. There were moderate correlations between vitamin A and cholesterol levels (r = 0.36, P less than 0.0027) and between cholesterol and triglyceride levels (r = 0.37, P less than 0.0024) in the control subjects but not in the cancer patients. Vitamin A levels correlated moderately with triglyceride levels in both the cancer patients (r = 0.42, P less than 0.0258) and the control subjects (r = 0.33, P less than 0.0069). The inverse relationship between the incidence of ovarian cancer and serum vitamin A and serum total cholesterol concentrations may have distinct implications for preventive medicine and public health.
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PMID:The relationship of serum vitamin A, cholesterol, and triglycerides to the incidence of ovarian cancer. 359 92

The Boyden chamber assay is widely used for in vitro measurement of the invasive capacity of cells. However, results can be affected significantly if certain precautions are not taken. Using the Boyden chamber assay we investigated in vitro the invasive potential of a variety of human gynecological tumor cell lines to degrade and migrate through the artificial basement membrane matrix Matrigel. However, in the absence of this Matrigel layer large differences were observed in the ability of cells to adhere to, migrate through and attach to the lower side of the filter membranes. These differences were influenced by cell density, degree of directional locomotion, and the size of the filter pores. To adjust for these influences (which are not directly correlated to the capacity of cells to traverse the Matrigel layer), invasion results were corrected for the ability of cells to migrate through the filter membrane. In addition, the invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells was used as an internal standard to compensate for variations in the Matrigel layer between different experiments. Overall, in our experimental set up, the five human breast cancer cell lines were the most invasive (mean invasion +/- SEM relative to MDA-MB-231 invasion: 104.7 +/- 6.1%), the five human ovarian cancer cell lines the least invasive (60.2 +/- 2.2%) and the six human endometrial cancer cell lines showed an intermediate capacity (79.1 +/- 3.5%). In conclusion, the Boyden chamber assay can be used reliably for studying the invasive potential of cells in vitro, if the ability of the cells to migrate through the filter is taken into account, and a reference cell line is included to enable comparison of the data obtained from independently performed experiments on different cell lines.
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PMID:Assessment of the invasive potential of human gynecological tumor cell lines with the in vitro Boyden chamber assay: influences of the ability of cells to migrate through the filter membrane. 900 6

Ovarian cancer is the second most common malignancy of the female reproductive tract. Approximately 50% of ovarian cancers have elevated levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This overexpression is correlated with a poor prognosis for patient survival. Ovarian cancers also express a number of sex steroid receptors. The androgen receptor (AR) is the predominant sex steroid receptor and is expressed in over 80% of ovarian cancers. We investigated whether a relationship exists between EGFR and AR in ovarian cancer. Sixty serous cystadenocarcinomas were analyzed for their relative levels of EGFR and AR by Western blot analysis. Data were analyzed by Student's t test and linear regression analysis for statistical significance. More than 98% of the tumors expressed detectable levels of EGFR, while 65% of the tumors expressed detectable levels of AR. The levels of EGFR (mean +/- SEM) were found to be significantly (P < 0.01) higher in AR+ (516 +/- 15) than in AR- (304 +/- 57) tumors. EGFR levels significantly correlated to AR levels (r = 0.49, P < 0.001). These results demonstrate an association between EGFR and AR levels in ovarian cancer. Whether this association represents a causal or a casual relationship remains to be determined.
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PMID:Expression of epidermal growth factor and androgen receptors in ovarian cancer. 926 71

OBJECTIVES: Although there is increasing evidence that the pineal gland may play a role in human malignancy, the studies on melatonin concentrations in different types of malignant tumors brought about controversial results. However, changes in melatonin concentrations have been observed in some types of human malignant tumors. Therefore we decided to study the circadian melatonin rhythm in patients suffering from malignant tumors of the female genital tract, and to compare them with subjects free from neoplastic disease (healthy volunteers and patients with myomatous uterus). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 46 women were analyzed in this study. The subjects were divided into 3 groups. The first group consisted of 23 patients with malignant tumors of the genital tract (mean age 50.3+/-2.2 years; mean+/-SEM, range 32-77 years). The second group consisted of 16 healthy volunteers (mean age 50.9+/-1.8 years; mean+/-SEM, range 42-63) who served as the first control group, whereas the third group consisted of 7 subjects who suffered from myomatous uterus (mean age 45.7+/-2.3 years; mean+/-SEM, range 39-56) and served as the second control group without malignancy. Blood samples were collected at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00, 22:00, 24:00, 02:00, 04:00, 06:00 and 08:00 h. Melatonin concentration was measured using RIA kit. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in circadian melatonin profiles among the three groups studied. Taking into consideration the type of tumor of the genital tract, significantly lower melatonin secretion has been found in patients with endometrial cancer in comparison with tumor-free control groups, whereas no significant differences in melatonin secretion have been observed between tumor-free control groups and patients with invasive ovarian cancer and squamous cervical cancer. However, significant differences have been observed between endometrial cancer and invasive ovarian cancer. CONCLUSION: Its seems probable that melatonin concentrations in human malignancy may, at least partly, depend on hormone dependency of the particular type of tumor.
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PMID:Serum melatonin circadian profile in women suffering from the genital tract cancers. 1145 38

Flow cytometric evaluation of cellular DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction was undertaken in serial post-operative peritoneal washings in 43 patients with histologically proven ovarian carcinoma, and 20 control patients. Five patients had FIGO stage I, two stage II and the remainder stage III/IV disease. Daily sampling of peritoneal fluid was performed commencing at day 0 (operation day) until the seventh post-operative day. Samples were analyzed fresh using a flow cytometer. Aneuploidy was detected in 168 (62.5%) of samples. Three patients had persistent diploidy throughout the study period, and were excluded from analysis. The mean aneuploid count rose from 24.7% [SEM (standard error of mean) = 4.6] on day 0 to 43.6% (SEM = 5.7) on day 4 (P < 0.008). The S-phase fraction for the aneuploid populations fell significantly (P < 0.02) from 4.9% (SEM = 1.2) on day 0 to 2.2% (SEM = 0.8) on day 1, but subsequently continued to rise. Cytologic evaluation confirmed malignant cells in 79% of aneuploid samples. Three patients in the control population had similar patterns to malignant conditions, two of these patients having benign ovarian cysts and ascites. These findings show an increased proliferative activity of aneuploid malignant cells following surgical intervention, as detected in peritoneal lavage samples of patients with ovarian cancer.
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PMID:In vivo evidence of increased malignant cell proliferation following surgery in ovarian cancer. 1157 66

Human ovarian carcinoma cells (MDAH 2774) were treated with sodium ascorbate (VC), menadione (VK3), or with a VC:VK3 combination for 1 h and then studied using light microscopy (LM) and scanning (SEM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy. Plasma membrane damage (blisters and blebs, hairy aspect) results from vitamin C (VC) treatment, while cytoskeletal damage and self-morsellation are caused by vitamin K3 (VK3) treatment. VC:VK3-treated cells exhibit exacerbated injuries characteristic of both VC and VK3 treatment as well as a significant decrease in cell diameters from 20-35 microm for control cells to 7-12 microm for VC:VK3 treatment. Moreover, after a 1-h exposure to the vitamin combination, autoschizis (43%), apoptosis (3%), and oncosis (1.9%) are observed at the percentages indicated. All cellular changes associated with autoschizis observed with SEM were confirmed by LM and TEM observations and are consistent with cell death by autoschizis: decrease in cell size, cytoplasmic self-excisions, degradation of the nucleus and nucleolus without formation of apoptotic bodies and, ultimately, karyorrhexis and karyolysis. These results also suggest that the vitamin combination may find clinical use in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
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PMID:Microscopic aspects of autoschizic cell death in human ovarian carcinoma (2774) cells following vitamin C, vitamin K3 or vitamin C:K3 treatment. 1290 65

BACKGROUND: Advanced ovarian cancer is the leading non-breast gynaecologic cause of malignant pleural effusion. Aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of mitoxantrone sclerotherapy as a palliative treatment of malignant pleural effusions due to ovarian cancer. METHODS: Sixty women with known ovarian cancer and malignant recurrent symptomatic pleural effusion were treated with chest tube drainage followed by intrapleural mitoxantrone sclerotherapy. Survival, complications and response to pleurodesis were recorded. The data are expressed as the mean +/- SEM and the median. RESULTS: The mean age of the entire group was 64 +/- 11,24 years. The mean interval between diagnosis of ovarian cancer and presentation of the effusion was 10 +/- 2,1 months. Eighteen patients (30%) had pleural effusion as the first evidence of recurrence. The mean volume of effusion drained was 1050 +/- 105 ml and chest tube was removed within 4 days in 75% of patients. There were no deaths related to the procedure. Side effects of chemical pleurodesis included fever (37-38,5 degrees C) chest pain, nausea and vomiting. At 30 days among 60 treated effusions, there was an 88% overall response rate, including 41 complete responses and 12 partial responses. At 60 days the overall response was 80% (38 complete responses and 10 partial responses). The mean survival of the entire population was 7,5 +/- 1,2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Mitoxantrone is effective in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion secondary to ovarian cancer without causing significant local or systemic toxicity.
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PMID:Mitoxantrone pleurodesis to palliate malignant pleural effusion secondary to ovarian cancer. 1535 71

Besides bone marrow, the kidneys are often dose-limiting organs in internal radiotherapy. The effects of high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiation on the kidneys after alpha-radioimmunotherapy (alpha-RIT) with the alpha-particle emitter, (211)At, were studied in nude mice by serial measurements of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The renal toxicity was evaluated at levels close to the dose limit for the bone marrow and well within the range for therapeutic efficacy on tumors. Astatinated MX35-F(ab')(2) monoclonal antibodies were administered intravenously to nude mice. Both non-tumor-bearing animals and animals bearing subcutaneous xenografts of the human ovarian cancer cell line, OVCAR-3, were used. The animals received approximately 0.4, 0.8, or 1.2 MBq in one, two, or three fractions. The mean absorbed doses to the kidneys ranged from 1.5 to 15 Gy. The renal function was studied by serial GFR measurements, using plasma clearance of (51)Cr-EDTA, up to 67 weeks after the first astatine injection. A dose-dependent effect on GFR was found and at the time interval 8-30 weeks after the first administration of astatine, the absorbed doses causing a 50% decrease in GFR were 16.4 +/- 3.3 and 14.0 +/- 4.1 Gy (mean +/- SEM), tumor- and non-tumor-bearing animals, respectively. The reduction in GFR progressed with time, and at the later time interval, (31-67 weeks) the corresponding absorbed doses were 7.5 +/- 2.4 and 11.3 +/- 2.3 Gy, respectively, suggesting that the effects of radiation on the kidneys were manifested late. Examination of the kidney sections showed histologic changes that were overall subdued. Following alpha-RIT with (211)At-MX35-F(ab')(2) at levels close to the dose limit of severe myelotoxicity, the effects found on renal function were relatively small, with only minor to moderate reductions in GFR. These results suggest that a mean absorbed dose to the kidneys of approximately 10 Gy is acceptable, and that the kidneys would not be the primary dose-limiting organ in systemic alpha-RIT when using (211)At-MX35-F(ab')(2).
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PMID:Glomerular filtration rate after alpha-radioimmunotherapy with 211At-MX35-F(ab')2: a long-term study of renal function in nude mice. 2002 44


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