Haptoglobin typing and quantitation in normal Chinese females and gynecologic cancer patients

Haptoglobin typing with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and guaiacol staining was performed in 1028 sera, including 215 cases of various gynecologic malignancies, 45 of benign gynecologic tumors, 99 of pregnancy, 2 of infection, and 667 of healthy subjects as controls. In the control group, excluding 9 cases of hypohaptoglobinemia, the incidences of haptoglobin type 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 were 12.00%, 41.03%, and 46.96% respectively. The Hp alpha 1 gene frequency was 0.3251. In cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, the incidence of type 1-1 was lower, while in corpus cancer, it was remarkably elevated. The frequency of Hp alpha 1 gene decreased in cervical cancer but increased in corpus cancer and other miscellaneous gynecologic cancer patients. However, the type distribution of gynecologic malignancy as a group was almost the same as that in the control group. The association of malignancy and haptoglobin types awaits further study. With single radial immunodiffusion technic, haptoglobin quantitation was also performed in 655 cases. In 331 nonpregnant healthy subjects, the mean levels in type 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 were 118.4, 180.9, and 137.9 mg% respectively. While the haptoglobin level during pregnancy and in most benign gynecologic tumors remained the same as in normal controls, it was significantly elevated in corpus cancer, ovarian cancer and advanced cervical cancers. A close association between malignancy and elevated haptoglobin levels was evident.