BMC Cancer (Dec 2003)

Circulating soluble Fas levels and risk of ovarian cancer

  • Krogh Vittorio,
  • Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Anne,
  • Afanasyeva Yelena,
  • Ma Yuehong,
  • Micheli Andrea,
  • Lukanova Annekatrin,
  • Guller Seth,
  • Lundin Eva,
  • Akhmedkhanov Arslan,
  • Lenner Per,
  • Muti Paola,
  • Rinaldi Sabina,
  • Kaaks Rudolf,
  • Berrino Franco,
  • Hallmans Göran,
  • Toniolo Paolo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-3-33
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 1
p. 33

Abstract

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Abstract Background Dysregulation of apoptosis, specifically overexpression of soluble Fas (sFas), has been proposed to play a role in the development of ovarian cancer. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate serum sFas as a potential biomarker of ovarian cancer risk. Methods The association between serum sFas levels and the risk of ovarian cancer was examined in a case-control study nested within three prospective cohorts in New York (USA), Umeå (Sweden), and Milan (Italy). Case subjects were 138 women with primary invasive epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2 months and 13.2 years after the initial blood donation. Control subjects were 263 women who were free of cancer, and matched the case on cohort, menopausal status, age, and enrollment date. Serum sFas levels were determined using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Results Serum sFas levels were similar in women subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer (median, 6.5 ng/mL; range, 4.4 – 10.2) and in controls (median, 6.8 ng/mL; range, 4.5 – 10.1). Statistically significant trends of increasing serum sFas with age were observed among cases (r = 0.39, p r = 0.42, p Conclusion The results suggest that serum sFas may not be a suitable marker for identification of women at increased risk of ovarian cancer.

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