Increased glycodelin levels in gynecological malignancies

• Published in: International journal of gynecological cancer Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 173 - 179
• Main Authors: Horowitz, I. R., Cho, C., Song, M., Flowers, L. C., Santanam, N., Parthasarathy, S., Ramachandran, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.05.2001; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Neoplasm; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Case-Control Studies; Cervical cancer; DNA Primers; Endometrial cancer; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genital Neoplasms, Female - genetics; Genital Neoplasms, Female - immunology; Genital Neoplasms, Female - metabolism; Glycodelin; Glycoproteins - blood; Gynecological cancer; Gynecology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; immunosuppression; Middle Aged; Ovaries; Pregnancy Proteins - blood; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sensitivity and Specificity; tumor; immunosuppression; glycodelin; tumor
• ISSN: 1048-891X; 1525-1438
• DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-00009577-200105000-00002

Glycodelin, an immunosuppressive protein with contraceptive properties, is synthesized by a variety of tissues and cell types. The ability of reproductive tissues to synthesize glycodelin is of major interest in pregnancy and disease conditions. We studied glycodelin levels in subjects with malignant gynecological tumors and in control subjects. Using a polyclonal glycodelin antibody against the synthetic glycodelin peptide sequence, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was devised to measure plasma glycodelin levels. The assay detected as much as 5 ng/ml of glycodelin. There was a significant increase in plasma glycodelin levels in endometrial > ovarian > cervical cancer subjects when compared to those of controls. Strong expression of mRNA and protein were found in the ovarian and endometrial tumor tissues. Given glycodelin's immunosuppressive abilities, increased level of glycodelin may facilitate tumor growth in gynecological malignancies.