Diagnostic significance of pregnancy-associated alpha 2-glycoprotein in patients with ovarian cancer

Pregnancy zone protein: a re-evaluation of serum levels in healthy women and in women suffering from breast cancer or trophoblastic disease

Pregnancy zone protein (PZP) and alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) serum concentrations were studied in healthy female donors, in women suffering from benign and malignant breast tumours, and in relation to normal and abnormal pregnancies. PZP was found to be useless as a tumour marker. Thus, PZP levels in breast cancer patients did not differ from those of fibroadenoma patients or healthy women. There was no correlation between PZP (or alpha 2M) concentrations and the pTNM-classification or metastatic burden of the breast cancer patients. Moreover, PZP levels were unaffected by cancer treatment and the course of disease. Neither patients nor control donors showed any age-dependent increase in circulating PZP and the mean serum value (8.38 +/- 4.83 mg/l, mean +/- SD) determined in a population of 154 non-pregnant women was considerably lower than that of most previous reports. Serum concentrations were unchanged during the normal menstrual cycle, but increased during pregnancy. However, late pregnancy sera (35th gestational week) contained significantly less PZP than previously reported by others, and non-pregnancy levels were observed in one out of 22 cases. Results obtained in hydatidiform mole patients were similar to findings in normal pregnancy. Neither serum 17 beta-oestradiol nor morphological differentiation between complete and partial mole showed any correlation with circulting PZP levels. Apart from a moderate increase during gestation, alpha 2M concentrations showed little variation between the populations examined.

Pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (alpha 2-PAG)--a possible marker in breast cancer?

Serum levels of pregnancy-associated alpha-glycoprotein (alpha 2-PAG) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) and the estrogen receptor content (ER) in the tumor cytosol were measured in 174 women aged 24 to 94 years with primary breast cancer and the values were related to patient age, tumor size and clinical stage. While E2 levels were significantly lower and ER values significantly higher in older women, no significant correlation was found between alpha 2-PAG on one hand and the patients' age, E2 or ER values or tumor size on the other. A significant positive correlation (p = 0.016, Pearson correlation test) was found between alpha 2-PAG values and the clinical stage of the tumor. The results suggest the possible use of alpha 2-PAG as a marker for the monitoring of disseminated breast cancer during systemic therapy.

Review of tumor markers for ovarian cancer

Forty-two substances having been described as potential tumor markers for ovarian cancer are reviewed regarding sensitivity, specificity, and correlation with clinical course of disease. At present, there is no reliable marker for the primary diagnosis of the vast majority of ovarian cancers. Tumor markers may however serve as adjunctive tools in monitoring ovarian cancer patients after treatment.