Insulin-like growth factor II in gynecological cancers: a preliminary study.

Abstract

PROBLEM:

We have previously reported elevated serum levels of cervical human papilloma viral proteins E6 and E7 and serum insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in women with cervical cancer and advanced cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. As most women with cervical cancer have elevated levels of serum IGF-II, we sought to determine whether the cervical cancer and lymph node biopsies from these women demonstrated increased production of IGF-II and whether this elevation was also present in ovarian and endometrial cancers.

METHOD OF STUDY:

We used the semi-quantitative immunofluorescent antibody assay established in our laboratory to identify the levels of IGF-II in 21 cervical cancers (seven with matching lymph nodes), 18 benign cervical biopsies, 13 endometrial cancers, 15 benign endometrial biopsies, 5 ovarian cancers, and 15 benign ovarian biopsies.

RESULTS:

The immunofluorescent IGF-II levels (relative intensity per pixel) were the highest in cervical cancers; they were significantly higher than in matched controls. IGF-II levels were not higher in ovarian cancers and only slightly elevated in endometrial cancers. The presence of IGF-II in pelvic lymph nodes of women with cervical cancer paralleled with those in the cervical cancers. Interestingly, we could identify small nests of metastases of malignant cells in the nodes (pauci-cellular metastasis) by using IGF-II as the marker.

CONCLUSION:

We propose that measurement and identification of IGF-II in the cervical biopsy may be a sensitive method of detecting cervical cancer and metastatic spread in the lymph nodes.

• Authors: Subbi P Mathur, Charles P Landen, Susan M Datta, M Camille Hoffman, Rajesh S Mathur, Roger C Young
• Journal: American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) (Am J Reprod Immunol) Vol. 49 Issue 2 Pg. 113-9 (Feb 2003) ISSN: 1046-7408 [Print] Denmark
• PMID: 12765350 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Insulin-Like Growth Factor II

Topics

• Endometrial Neoplasms (metabolism)
• Female
• Fluorescent Antibody Technique
• Genital Neoplasms, Female (metabolism)
• Humans
• Insulin-Like Growth Factor II (metabolism)
• Lymph Nodes (metabolism)
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms (metabolism)