RGD Reference Report - Inhibin forms in serum from postmenopausal women with ovarian cancers. - Rat Genome Database

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Inhibin forms in serum from postmenopausal women with ovarian cancers.

Authors: Robertson, DM  Cahir, N  Burger, HG  Mamers, P  Groome, N 
Citation: Robertson DM, etal., Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1999 Mar;50(3):381-6.
RGD ID: 2290383
Pubmed: PMID:10435065   (View Abstract at PubMed)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that serum inhibin as measured by alpha 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 alpha 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-alpha C 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-alpha C 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-alpha C ELISA (90%) and inhibin A ELISA (77%). Mucinous tumours were detected by RIA (70%), inhibin B ELISA (60%), Pro-alpha C ELISA (55%) and inhibin A (20%). Serous tumours were detected by RIA (35%) and the other assays (< 15%). Miscellaneous tumours were detected by RIA (41%) and other assays < 30%. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian neoplasms may produce a variety of peptides related to the inhibins, including dimeric inhibin A and B. Inhibin B is detected in more ovarian cancers than inhibin A but does not discriminate as well as the alpha subunit directed assays. The higher discrimination index obtained with the RIA compared to the Pro-alpha C ELISA suggests that assays detecting all inhibin forms containing the alpha subunit and not just those detecting the Pro-alpha C subunit will provide the most useful detection method.

RGD Manual Disease Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
Ovarian Neoplasms  IEP 2290383protein:increased expression:tumorsRGD 
Ovarian Neoplasms  ISOINHA (Homo sapiens)2290383; 2290383 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Inha  (inhibin subunit alpha)

Genes (Mus musculus)
Inha  (inhibin alpha)

Genes (Homo sapiens)
INHA  (inhibin subunit alpha)


Additional Information