Immunoreactive pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor in gynecological diseases

Serum immunoreactive pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor in 45 patients with various gynecological diseases was measured by a radioimmunoassay. In normal serum of healthy individuals, the concentration was 11.7 +/- 2.3 ng/ml (mean +/- SD). Elevated levels (above control mean plus 3 S.D.) were observed in sera of 5 patients (50%) with ovarian cancer, and serum of one patient (4.7%) with uterine cancer. Only one tumor extract of ovarian cancer contained a significant level of immunoreactive PSTI. PSTI-containing mucin was detected in a mucin-producing ovarian adenocarcinoma.