Abstract
In 96 ovarian cancer patients, the present study investigates the clinical significance of pretreatment concentrations of soluble CD44 standard (CD44s) and its isoforms v5 and v6 determined in the serum and the ascitic fluid by means of recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Furthermore, CD44 serum concentrations in the ovarian cancer patients were compared with circulating CD44 levels in 50 healthy age-matched female blood donors. Whereas CD44s was found to be higher and CD44v5 to be lower in ovarian cancer patients than healthy control subjects, no statistical difference between the two cohorts was revealed for CD44 isoform v6. In the ascitic fluid samples, variant isoform v5 and v6 were demonstrated at lower concentrations than serum. Multivariate analysis of overall survival demonstrated that a high pretreatment serum level of soluble CD44 isoform v5 is independently associated with favourable clinical outcome in ovarian cancer. When circulating CD44 isoforms were compared with a panel of serum parameters known to be involved in the immunological network, an inverse correlation between serum CD44v5 levels and indicators of cellular immune system activation, such as soluble interleukin 2 receptor, immunostimulatory protein 90K and neopterin, became apparent.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zeimet, A., Widschwendter, M., Uhl-Steidl, M. et al. High serum levels of soluble CD44 variant isoform v5 are associated with favourable clinical outcome in ovarian cancer. Br J Cancer 76, 1646–1651 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1997.611
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1997.611
This article is cited by
-
Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer: an insight highlighting pathogenesis and targeting strategies
VirusDisease (2022)
-
Soluble CD44 inhibits melanoma tumor growth by blocking cell surface CD44 binding to hyaluronic acid
Oncogene (2001)
-
Identification and Characterization of CD44RC, a Novel Alternatively Spliced Soluble CD44 Isoform that can Potentiate the Hyaluronan Binding Activity of Cell Surface CD44
Neoplasia (1999)
-
Soluble CD44: quantification and molecular repartition in plasma of patients with colorectal cancer
British Journal of Cancer (1999)