Cancer and soluble FAS.

A test system developed by the authors was used to measure serum concentrations of soluble Fas in patients with malignant and benign tumors of different location and morphology. Relationships between soluble Fas levels and the main clinical and morphological characteristics of cancer were evaluated. It is proven that the concentrations and incidence of detection of soluble Fas in the sera of patients with tumors are significantly higher than in normal subjects. No appreciable differences in the concentrations of soluble Fas were detected in malignant and benign tumors of the mammary gland, bones, ovaries, and adrenals. In thyroid cancer, soluble Fas levels were higher than in benign and hyperplastic processes in this organ. High level of soluble Fas is associated with late stages of the disease (ovarian cancer, cancer of the corpus uteri, adrenocortical and colorectal cancer) and with poor differentiation of the tumor (ovarian cancer and cancer of the corpus uteri), with local metastases (colorectal and adrenocortical cancer), and with tumor invasion into the myometrial tissue, intestinal wall, and adjacent tissues (cancer of the corpus uteri and colorectal cancer). A significantly high level of soluble Fas was detected in colorectal and adrenocortical cancer in the presence of at least 2 local metastases. Soluble Fas levels depended on tumor histogenesis in malignant and benign ovarian tumors. High concentration of soluble Fas was detected in large tumors in patients with ovarian cancer, cancer of the corpus uteri, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer and adenoma, and in adrenocortical cancer. Initially high levels of soluble Fas are characteristic of patients whose tumors are little sensitive to nonadjuvant radiotherapy. The overall 5-year survival of patients with low levels of soluble Fas is better in osteosarcoma, cancer of the corpus uteri, ovarian and adrenocortical cancer.

Serum sFas, leptin, and VEGF in patients with ovarian cancer and benign tumors.

The initial levels of soluble Fas antigen (sFas), leptin, and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) were measured in the sera of 100 patients with ovarian cancer and benign tumors and in 60 healthy women aged 28-65 years. Serum levels of sFas and VEGF were elevated in the total group of patients with ovarian tumors, while leptin levels were the same as in healthy women. The studied parameters did not depend on the age of patients and healthy women. The levels of sFas and leptin were virtually the same in benign and malignant ovarian tumors, while VEGF concentration was higher in patients with ovarian cancer. The mean serum levels of sFas, VEGF, and leptin in patients with poorly and moderately differentiated serous ovarian cancer were 2-fold higher than in well-differentiated tumors (p<0.05), while serum concentrations of sFas and leptin increased with the disease stage progress in patients with ovarian cancer (p<0.05). According to the data of unifactorial analysis, the increase in serum levels of sFas and VEGF in ovarian cancer patients correlated with short duration of the relapse-free period. Multifactorial analysis showed that the disease stage (p=0.006), presence of ascites (p=0.03), VEGF concentration (p=0.02), and the sFas/leptin coefficient (p=0.045) are highly significant independent factors for predicting the relapse-free survival of patients with serous ovarian cancer.

[The pathogenetic basis for using antiestrogens in treating patients with hyperplastic processes of the endometrium in the postmenopause]. / Patogeneticheskoe obosnovanie primeneniia antiéstrogenov v lechenii bol'nykh s giperplasticheskimi protsessami éndometriia v periode postmenopauzy.

Estradiol and progesterone cytosol receptors, tamoxifen relative binding capacity in endometrial tissue samples, serum estradiol and progesterone levels were studied in 60 postmenopausal patients with hyperplastic processes in the endometrium. Estradiol and progesterone receptor levels were increased in glandular cystic polyp tissue, in atypical hyperplastic tissue samples, and in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma tissue. High estradiol levels were detected in the blood sera of patients with glandular cystic polyps, atypical and glandular hyperplasia. Tamoxifen relative binding capacity was the highest in glandular cystic polyps and glandular hyperplasia. Forty patients were treated with 17-hydroxyprogesterone capronate. The data on the status of cytosol receptors and tamoxifen relative binding capacity as well as clinical findings give grounds to include antiestrogens into therapeutic complex for postmenopausal patients with endometrial hyperplasia.