Tumor markers in inclusion cysts of the ovary

Abstract

The immunoperoxidase method was used to determine whether carcinoembryonic antigen, beta subunit of HCC placental lactogen, pregnancy-associated alpha-2 glycoprotein, and pregnancy-specific beta-1 glycoprotein could be found in inclusion cysts of the ovary. These tumor markers are found in the serum of patients with common epithelial carcinomas of the ovary and inclusion cysts are considered to be the origin of these tumors. Placental lactogen was found in 56 of 118 inclusion cysts, beta subunit of HCG in four of 141 cysts, alpha-2 glycoprotein in five of 141, and beta-1 glycoprotein in two of 118. It was concluded that primitive cells in inclusion cysts elaborate the same tumor markers found in serous cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary. This observation, although not proving origin of tumor from the inclusion cyst, demonstrates a significant characteristic shared in common by all three. Cancer 49722-726, 1982. T HAS BEEN NOTED that malignancies of the ovary are able to synthesize and secrete ectopic proteins that These ma-are specific to the fetus and lignancies included common epithelial carcinomas of the ovary. Khoo and MacKay' reported that significantly raised values of CEA were found in the serum of 77% of patients with cystadenocarcinoma. Stone et d. I 4 reported that about one-half of beta subunit HCG determinations were positive in the sera of 26 patients with serous, mucinous, and endometrioid carcinoma. Similar studies by Crowther et d4 have shown the presence of pregnancy-associated alpha-2 glycoprotein, pregnancy-specific beta-1 glycoprotein, and placental lactogen in the blood of patients with mucinous, serous, endometrioid, and undifferentiated carcinomas. Because these tumors are believed to originate in inclusion cysts in the cortex of the ovary," it seemed worthwhile to investigate, through the use of the im-munoperoxidase method, whether any of the above ec-topic proteins, widely regarded as tumor markers, could be found in the cytoplasm of cells making up the cysts.

Comparison of Expression Profiles in Ovarian Epithelium In Vivo and Ovarian Cancer Identifies Novel Candidate Genes Involved in Disease Pathogenesis

“…The general pattern of low expression in ovarian surface epithelium and higher expression in inclusion cysts seen in our study has been previously reported in other studies [9]. It is thought that high hormone levels in the ovarian stroma may induce expression of a range of genes in the epithelium lining inclusion cysts.…”

“…Although it is widely believed that serous ovarian cancers arise from the ovarian surface epithelium and inclusion cysts formed when ovarian surface epithelium become trapped inside the ovary [9], a more recent hypothesis for the initiation of ovarian cancer suggests that precursor lesions exist in the fimbriated end of the fallopian tube epithelium [10]. It is possible that fallopian tube epithelium become trapped within the ovarian stroma during healing of the ovulatory wound where the high hormonal milieu may cause malignant transformation in a manner akin to the hypothesis for inclusion cysts [9].…”

“…It is possible that fallopian tube epithelium become trapped within the ovarian stroma during healing of the ovulatory wound where the high hormonal milieu may cause malignant transformation in a manner akin to the hypothesis for inclusion cysts [9]. Support for the initiation of ovarian cancer in fallopian tube epithelium can be found from studies which show that there are similarities in gene expression profiles of serous ovarian cancer and fallopian tube epithelium, yet these differ to the profiles observed for ovarian surface epithelium [11].…”

Copy Number Aberrations in Benign Serous Ovarian Tumors: A Case for Reclassification?

“…It has been widely believed that some or all of these arise from precursors originating from the ovarian surface epithelium, via inclusion cysts or serous benign and borderline tumors (5)(6)(7)(8). Obvious candidate precursors are serous ovarian cystadenomas and cystadenofibromas, which are benign lesions with a cystic mass of 1 cm or more in diameter, lined with a single layer of cuboidal to columnar epithelium and commonly associated with a fibromatous stromal mass ( Supplementary Fig.…”

Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Canine Ovarian Cysts

“…In addition, the cells lining cysts lose their original shape with the expansion of the cysts. There are few reports of immunostaining to distinguish a kind of ovarian cyst in other animals [2,9]. In the present study, we immunohistochemically examined 109 ovarian cysts, including cysts of SES, graafian follicle cysts, cystic rete ovarii and histologically unclassified cysts in dogs.…”