Yoriko Ota

Cytokeratin fragment 21-1 in gynecologic malignancy : comparison with cancer antigen 125 and squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen

We measured serum cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) levels by a solid-phase immunoradiometric assay in 102 healthy Japanese women, and set the reference value at 1.9 ng/ml (mean +2 SD of the serum levels based on a linear distribution). Pretreatment serum CYFRA 21-1 levels were also analyzed in 235 women with benign (n = 94) or malignant (n = 141) gynecologic disease, and were compared with the serum levels of CA 125 and SCC. The respective positivity rates for CYFRA 21-1 and CA 125 were 64.0 and 77.2% in ovarian malignancy, while they were 4.2 and 30.8% in benign ovarian masses. CYFRA 21-1 had an accuracy of 61.3% in diagnosing ovarian malignancy, which was higher than that of CA 125 (53.4%). The positive predictive value of CYFRA 21-1 for ovarian malignancy reached 94.1%, which was significantly (p < 0.005) higher than that of CA 125 (68.8%). These findings indicate the potential usefulness of CYFRA 21-1 as a tumor marker for ovarian malignancy. In addition, the positivity rates fo CYFRA 21-1 in cervical cancer (51.2%) and endometrial cancer (52.2%) were also similar to the respective rates for SCC and CA 125, which suggests that CYFRA 21-1 seems to be a general tumor marker for gynecologic malignancy.

A case of T1N0M0 vulvar apocrine gland carcinoma with a positive outcome

BACKGROUND Apocrine carcinoma of the vulva is extremely rare; only two cases have been reported worldwide. Here we report a case of apocrine carcinoma of the vulva. CASE A 58-year-old woman complaining of a small, asymptomatic genital tumor visited the gynecology clinic of Chiba Social Insurance Hospital. The biopsy specimen suggested that it was an adenocarcinoma derived from the apocrine gland. The diagnosis was confirmed by periodic acid-Schiff staining and immunohistochemical staining for gross cystic disease fluid protein 15. She underwent simple vulvectomy with hemilateral groin dissection. She has been followed as an outpatient for the past 7 years with no signs of recurrence or metastasis. CONCLUSION Despite the positive outcome of this case, small, asymptomatic genital lesions should be regarded with caution.

Antitumor effect of monoclonal antibody-carboplatin conjugates in nude mice bearing human ovarian cancer cells

AbstractBackground. The antitumor effect and toxicity of immunoconjugates were studied in nude mice bearing a human ovarian cancer cell line, OVA-1. Methods. We studied the tissue distribution of an anti-cytokeratin-8 monoclonal antibody (6D7) in OVA-1-bearing nude mice by giving 6D7 labelled with 125I. The immuno conjugate consisted of 6D7 and carboplatin (6D7-conjugate), coupled via carboxymethyl dextran, and this was intraperitoneally administered to OVA-1 bearing nude mice. The tumor volume and the body weight were measured for 5 weeks. Tissue platinum concentrations in the OVA-1 tumor, blood, liver, kidney, and spleen, were measured from 3 to 120 min after administration of the conjugate. The results were compared with those in nude mice treated with nonspecific mouse IgG coupled with carboplatin (IgG-conjugate) or carboplatin alone. Results. The coupling rate of the drug to 6D7 was approximately 80%, and was stable over several measurements at various times. In-vivo accumulation of 6D7 labelled with 125I in the OVA-1 tumors was significantly higher than that in mice that received nonspecific mouse- IgG-125I, with tumor/ blood radioactivity ratios of 14.0 and 1.28, respectively. The tumor growth rate in mice that were administered 6D7-conjugate was (at a maximum) 40% lower than the tumor growth rate in mice administered carboplatin. The body weight of the mice that received 6D7-conjugate did not decrease during the 5-week observation period, while the body weight of the mice that received carboplatin decreased by a maximum of 10%. In addition, upon administration of 6D7-conjugate, the platinum concentration in the tumor was maintained for a longer period than after the administration of carboplatin alone. Conclusions. The tumor growth suppression effect was significantly higher in the mice bearing the OVA-1 tumor that received 6D7-conjugate than in the animals that received carboplatin alone. This difference could be caused by differences in the platinum concentrations in the tumor between the two groups.

Plasma levels of α-defensins 1–3 are an indicator of neutrophil activation in pregnant and post-partum women

Aim:  In severe preeclampsia and septic shock, excessively activated neutrophils are thought to injure tissue irreversibly. On the other hand, mild neutrophil activation is known to occur during normal pregnancy. The objective of this study was to determine whether elevated plasma levels of α‐defensins 1–3 could be used as an indicator of neutrophil activation in pregnant and post‐partum women.