The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic values of serum
angiogenin concentration in cases with
gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs). Seventy-two patients with GTDs and 20 first trimester healthy pregnant women (controls) participated in this study. According to the WHO scoring system, GTDs were subgrouped into 24 hydatiform mole
spontaneous regression (HMSR), 18 postmolar gestational
trophoblastic tumors of high risk (PMHR), 16 low-risk
choriocarcinoma, and 14 high-risk
choriocarcinoma. Before treatment, a blood sample from each case was assayed for human chorionic gonadotrophin , subunit (hCGb) by radioimmunoassay and
angiogenin by
enzyme immunoassay. Follow-up hCGb and
angiogenin assays were carried out for 1 year
after treatment. Pretreatment of abnormal values of serum
angiogenin (> 711 ng/ml, upper 95% confidence interval of controls) was encountered in 100% of PMHR cases compared to no single case of HMSR. Serum
angiogenin levels in low- and high-risk cases with
choriocarcinoma were significantly higher than in controls. Abnormal high values were encountered in 25% and 86% of cases, respectively. None of the low-risk cases exceeded 920 ng/ml, while 72% of high-risk cases exceeded this value. Serial
angiogenin assays were correlated with
disease progression and were positively correlated with serum hCGb (r = 0.75, p < 0.01). In conclusion, serum
angiogenin may be a valuable marker of differential diagnosis of GTDs and its serial measurements are suggestive of remission and effective therapeutic intervention or
disease progression.