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Transforming growth factor-alpha promotes tumor markers secretion from human ovarian cancers in vitro
H Kurachi1, H Adachi, K Morishige
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Background:
The regulatory mechanism of tumor markers secretion has not been well clarified.
Methods:
Serum levels of CA 125 and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) from 17 patients with Stage III serous cystadenocarcinoma were measured prior to an initial surgical treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status was examined by an 125I-EGF binding assay in a human serous cystadenocarcinoma cell (SHIN-3) and in the 17 primary carcinomas. SHIN-3 cell and the EGFR-expressing primary cancer cells (n = 4) were cultured with or without various concentrations of transforming growth factor (TGF-alpha), a ligand for EGFR, and the CA 125 and TPA concentrations in the conditioned media were measured.
Results:
EGFR was expressed in 12 primary carcinomas and in the SHIN-3 cell, and it was absent in the remaining 5 carcinomas. Pre-therapeutic serum CA 125 and TPA levels were significantly greater (P < 0.05) in patients with EGFR-expressing carcinomas (n = 5). These data suggest a possible involvement of EGFR in regulating these tumor markers secretion. TGF-alpha increased the CA 125 and TPA secretion from SHIN-3 cell. It also promoted the CA 125 secretion in 2 of 4 EGFR-expressing primary ovarian carcinoma specimens.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that a signal through the EGFR may be involved in regulating the CA 125 and TPA secretion from human ovarian carcinomas.