Circulating serum sVCAM-1 concentration inadvanced ovarian cancer patientsJakimovska, Marina (Avtor) Černe, Katarina (Avtor) Verdenik, Ivan (Avtor) Kobal, Borut (Avtor) Background. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is associated with ovarian cancer progression but theorigin of its soluble form (sVCAM-1) in serum is not well investigated. The purpose of this study was to elucidate whetherthe concentration of sVCAM-1 in serum correlates with the concentration in ascites, that represents local tumour environment,and with systemic inflammation, various clinicopathological characteristics, and patient outcome.Patients and methods. Thirty-six patients with advanced ovarian cancer were included in the study. Serum forsVCAM-1 analysis was obtained prior to surgery. Ascites samples were collected at the beginning of the operation.Clinical data were collected from patients medical records. sVCAM-1 in samples was analysed by flow cytometricbead-based assay. The mean follow-up period was 11 months (range 0-23) from the time of surgery.Results. Serum sVCAM-1 concentrations are positively correlated to ascites sVCAM-1 concentrations. There was aweakly positive correlation of serum sVCAM-1 with tumour size and no correlation with inflammatory tumour markers,FIGO stage or grade. Higher concentrations of sVCAM-1 were associated with poor disease outcome (death fromovarian cancer) in almost all cases before chemotherapy was started.Conclusion. This is the first study demonstrating that serum concentrations of sVCAM-1 in advanced ovarian cancerpatients correlate with sVCAM-1 concentrations in ascites, thus expressing the biologic potential of malignant diseaseto metastasis, rather than systemic inflammation. Higher serum and ascites sVCAM-1 concentrations might have predictivepotential for different biologic behaviour.Association of Radiology and Oncology20142024-04-16 10:17:20Neznano18691Ljubljanaslby Authors