Biomarkers in Ovarian Pathology: From Screening to Diagnosis. Review of the Literature

Association of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms rs11556218, rs4778889, rs4072111, and rs1131445 of the Interleukin-16 Gene with Ovarian Cancer

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-16 gene have been reported to influence the risk of several cancers, but their role in ovarian cancer (OC) has not been studied. Using the restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, we examined four IL-16 SNPs: rs11556218 (T > G), rs4778889 (T > C), rs4072111 (C > T), and rs1131445 (T > C) in blood samples from 413 women of Central European descent, including 200 OC patients and 213 healthy controls. Among the patients, 62% were postmenopausal, 84.5% were diagnosed in late stages (FIGO IIb-IV), and 73.5% had high-grade serous OC (HGSOC). Minor allele frequencies in controls were 9.2% for rs11556218 (G allele), 13.7% for rs4778889 (C allele), 10.4% for rs4072111 (T allele), and 32.3% for rs1131445 (C allele). We found significant associations of rs11556218 (G vs. T allele: OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.84-4.14, p < 0.0001) with elevated OC risk in the whole cohort (p < 0.001) and in both premenopausal (p < 0.001) and postmenopausal (p = 0.001) subgroups. These associations remained significant across heterozygote (p < 0.001), dominant (p < 0.001), and overdominant (p < 0.001) models. IL-16 rs4778889 was associated with OC risk predominantly in premenopausal women (p < 0.0001 in almost all models). In the whole cohort, the C allele was associated with OC risk (OR 1.54, CI 95% 1.06-2.23, p = 0.024), and the association of rs4778889 was significant in dominant (p = 0.019), overdominant (p = 0.033), and heterozygote (p = 0.027) models. Furthermore, rs4778889 was linked with HGSOC (p = 0.036) and endometriosis-related OC subtypes (p = 0.002). No significant associations were found for rs4072111 or rs1131445 (p = 0.81 or 0.47, respectively). In conclusion, rs11556218 and rs4778889 SNPs are associated with OC risk, especially in premenopausal women.

Diagnostic Utility of Selected Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-11, MMP-26), HE4, CA125 and ROMA Algorithm in Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) has an unfavorable prognosis. Due to the lack of effective screening tests, new diagnostic methods are being sought to detect OC earlier. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration and diagnostic utility of selected matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as OC markers in comparison with HE4, CA125 and the ROMA algorithm. The study group consisted of 120 patients with OC; the comparison group consisted of 70 patients with benign lesions and 50 healthy women. MMPs were determined via the ELISA method, HE4 and CA125 by CMIA. Patients with OC had elevated levels of MMP-3 and MMP-11, similar to HE4, CA125 and ROMA values. The highest SE, SP, NPV and PPV values were found for MMP-26, CA125 and ROMA in OC patients. Performing combined analyses of ROMA with selected MMPs increased the values of diagnostic parameters. The topmost diagnostic power of the test was obtained for MMP-26, CA125, HE4 and ROMA and performing combined analyses of MMPs and ROMA enhanced the diagnostic power of the test. The obtained results indicate that the tested MMPs do not show potential as stand-alone OC biomarkers, but can be considered as additional tests to raise the diagnostic utility of the ROMA algorithm.

Updates in Osteosarcoma

Clinical care of osteosarcoma (OSA) in dogs has seen little change during the past 2 decades, relying on amputation and platinum-based chemotherapy for pain control and survival. Recent advancements offer hope for improved outcomes. Genomic research reveals shared genetic abnormalities between canine and human OSA. Multidimensional imaging provides valuable staging and prognostic information. Limb-sparing approaches including stereotactic body radiation therapy are routine. Ablative therapies such as microwave ablation and histotripsy show promise. Immunotherapy including cell therapy and immune checkpoint inhibition are available. Radiopharmaceuticals are tuned to target OSA cells directly. These innovations may enhance treatment and prognosis for dogs with OSA.

Clinical Applicability of Tissue Polypeptide Antigen and CA-125 in Gynecological Malignancies

BACKGROUND

Nowadays there still is no sufficient screening tool for ovarian and uterine cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to investigate whether cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) or the combination of both markers are able to act as screening tools for ovarian or uterine cancer.

METHODS

A total of 275 blood samples from different cohorts (ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, benign control group) were prospectively drawn and analyzed.

RESULTS

Established biomarkers TPA and CA-125 showed elevated serum concentrations in patients with malignant tumors as compared to healthy women and women with benign diseases. In ROC curve analyses, both biomarkers were well able to discriminate between malignant and healthy, benign or overall non-malignant cases in the whole sample, with AUCs of 0.842 and above. While TPA was the best diagnostic marker in patients with uterine cancer, CA 125 was the best in patients with ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

TPA and CA-125 both showed promising results for the detection of gynecologic malignancies. The combination of CA-125 and TPA did not improve sensitivity in comparison to single markers.

Circulating Biomarkers for Cancer Detection: Could Salivary microRNAs Be an Opportunity for Ovarian Cancer Diagnostics?

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with the crucial regulatory functions of gene expression at post-transcriptional level, detectable in cell and tissue extracts, and body fluids. For their stability in body fluids and accessibility to sampling, circulating miRNAs and changes of their concentration may represent suitable disease biomarkers, with diagnostic and prognostic relevance. A solid literature now describes the profiling of circulating miRNA signatures for several tumor types. Among body fluids, saliva accurately reflects systemic pathophysiological conditions, representing a promising diagnostic resource for the future of low-cost screening procedures for systemic diseases, including cancer. Here, we provide a review of literature about miRNAs as potential disease biomarkers with regard to ovarian cancer (OC), with an excursus about liquid biopsies, and saliva in particular. We also report on salivary miRNAs as biomarkers in oncological conditions other than OC, as well as on OC biomarkers other than miRNAs. While the clinical need for an effective tool for OC screening remains unmet, it would be advisable to combine within a single diagnostic platform, the tools for detecting patterns of both protein and miRNA biomarkers to provide the screening robustness that single molecular species separately were not able to provide so far.

Molecular Management of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) represents the most common form of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. The absence of specific symptoms leads to late-stage diagnosis, making HGSOC one of the gynecological cancers with the worst prognosis. The cellular origin of HGSOC and the role of reproductive hormones, genetic traits (such as alterations in P53 and DNA-repair mechanisms), chromosomal instability, or dysregulation of crucial signaling pathways have been considered when evaluating prognosis and response to therapy in HGSOC patients. However, the detection of HGSOC is still based on traditional methods such as carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) detection and ultrasound, and the combined use of these methods has yet to support significant reductions in overall mortality rates. The current paradigm for HGSOC management has moved towards early diagnosis via the non-invasive detection of molecular markers through liquid biopsies. This review presents an integrated view of the relevant cellular and molecular aspects involved in the etiopathogenesis of HGSOC and brings together studies that consider new horizons for the possible early detection of this gynecological cancer.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum and Urine Human Epididymis Protein 4 (HE4) in Ovarian Cancer in 15,394 Subjects: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Background We aim to determine the diagnostic accuracy of both serum and urinary human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Methods Electronic databases and search engines such as PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched systematically by two independent reviewers to retrieve articles published from inception to June 11, 2022. The diagnostic accuracy of serum and urinary HE4 was computed using the random-effects model in terms of pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). To explain any source of possible heterogeneity, meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tools recommended by the Cochrane Library. Result and conclusion This meta-analysis included a total of 38 studies of serum HE4 involving 14,745 subjects and five studies for urinary HE4 involving 649 subjects. We observed acceptable pooled sensitivity, specificity, summary receiver operating characteristics (SROC), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) at 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75-0.82), 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.95), 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91), and 43 (95% CI: 25-72), respectively, for serum HE4 for discriminating ovarian cancer. For urine HE4, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, SROC, and DOR were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.90), 0.93 (95% CI: 0.83-0.98), 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95), and 55 (95% CI: 15-198), respectively. Therefore, HE4 is a promising biomarker with a high degree of specificity and acceptable sensitivity for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Registration number This meta-analysis was performed after the registration of the protocol in the PROSPERO database with registration number CRD42022324947.

Women's awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors and symptoms in Western Iran in 2020-2021

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate awareness of women living in the western region of Iran about warning signs and risk factors for ovarian cancer.

Methods

This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Sanandaj and Kermanshah, Iran, 2020 and 2021. In this study, 1081 women aged 18–70 years were selected as the sample to fill out the electronic version of the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Measure (OCAM) to identify the significant variables of ovarian cancer warning signs and risk factors. The obtained data were statistically analyzed by descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression in SPSS 19.

Results

In this study, 60.9% of the participants had medium awareness of the subject. The results indicated that participants with higher educational attainment (P < 0.05) and those with a history of cancer (P < 0.001) showed higher knowledge of cancer. The lowest level of awareness of symptoms was associated with acute symptoms such as dysphagia (swallowing problems) most days, persistent bloating, a sense of abdominal fullness or heaviness, and frequent urination. Moreover, the lowest awareness of risk factors was related to the history of IVF treatments and the application of talcum powder to the genital area.

Conclusion

The study findings showed that women living in the western region of Iran have moderate awareness of ovarian cancer and insufficient knowledge of cancer warning signs; this suggests that it is necessary to train Iranian women to raise awareness of the signs and risk factors for ovarian cancer.

Combined small and large magnetic nanoparticle extraction and concentration from biofluids for non-toxic detection of biomarkers

Sketch of the concentration of small and large magnetic nanoparticles in biofluid to the area of biomarker detection for enhancing the method sensitivity.