CHANGES OF CYTOKINE PROFILE AND TRANSPORTER PROTEIN LEVELS IN PROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS OF UTERINE SYSTEM

Abstract

Abstract. We studies blood sera of the women with verified endometriosis (End), cancer of ovaries (Can), cystadenoma (Cyst) and healthy women by similar age (Cont) for the contents of cytokines (TNFα, IL - 1β, IL-6, IFNγ), some macroglobulin proteins transporting them across cell walls, i.e., α2-macroglobulin (α2 - Mg), and pregnancy-associated α2-glycoprotein (α2-PAG)), as well as some functional forms of α2 - Mg (α2-Mg-IgG and α2-Mg-plasmin complexes (α2-Mg-Pl), and intrinsic components of these complexes (total serum IgG and plasmin)), to establish their role in pathogenesis of abovementioned diseases. We have shown that the direction and expression of the changes are quite different. I.e., in ovarian cancer, the levels of α2 - PAG, α2-Mg-Pl, IL-6, and TNFα were considerably increased, concentrations of α2-Mg-IgG complex are moderately increased, but the contents of total IgG and IFNγ are not changed. Meanwhile, the levels of total α2-Mg and Pl are reduced. In cystadenoma, the total α2-Mg levels are significantly reduced, but total Pl and α2-PAG concentrations are constant, and only IL-1β and both type of complexes are significantly increased. Endometriosis is characterized by considerable increase of α2-PAG, IL-6, IL-1β and IgG serum levels, accompanied by relatively high concentrations of α2-Mg-IgG and α2-Mg-Pl complexes. To our mind, the changes revealed may represent either consequence, or a factor of an active neoplasm progression.

Keywords

• α2-macroglobulin
• ovarian cancer
• endometriosis
• cytokines
• acute phase proteins