Characterization of Inhibin Forms and Their Measurement by an Inhibin α-Subunit ELISA in Serum from Postmenopausal Women with Ovarian Cancer

摘要: The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular wt forms inhibins A and B its free alpha-subunit present in serum from women with ovarian cancer as a basis for developing improved monoclonal antibody-based inhibin assays monitoring cancer. Three new (alphaC) ELISAs were developed using antibodies directed three nonoverlapping peptide regions alphaC region alpha-subunit. To cancer, existing immunoassays (inhibin A, B, pro-alphaC) applied sera granulosa cell tumors mucinous carcinomas previously fractionated combined immunoaffinity chromatography, preparative SDS-PAGE, electroelution procedure. distribution size dimeric detected consistent known mol their precursor follicular fluid healthy women. recognized all alpha-subunit, although differences between observed ability detect high forms. assess which preferred application range normal postmenopausal (n = 61) 152) (serous, mucinous, endometrioid, clear carcinomas, tumors) nonovarian (breast colon) cancers. Despite inhibin, showed similar sensitivity (i.e. proportion patients correctly detected) specificity (proportion controls indexes detection (84% 95%) (100% compared earlier RIA or polyclonal immunofluorometric assays. combination CA125 assay, an tumor marker that has other cancers cell, endometrioid), resulted increase sensitivity/specificity (95% group. These now provide practical sensitive suitable evaluation diagnostic tests