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Uterine Cancer
A New Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker in Endometrial Cancer: Neopterin
  1. Esra Isci Bostanci, MD*,
  2. Asiye Ugras Dikmen, MD†,
  3. Gozde Girgin, MD‡,
  4. Tayfun Gungor, MD‡,
  5. Terken Baydar, MD§ and
  6. Ahmet Nuri Danisman, MD§
  1. * Gynecologic Oncology, and
  2. † Public Health, Gazi University Medical Faculty Hospital;
  3. ‡ Toxicology, Hacettepe University Pharmacology Faculty; and
  4. § Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women’s Health Research and Education Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Esra Isci Bostanci, MD, The Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Gazi University Medical Faculty Hospital, Besevler, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey 06560. E-mail: dresrai{at}yahoo.com.tr.

Abstract

Objective In this study, we investigated the correlation between serum and urinary neopterin levels as well as the stage of the disease in women with endometrial cancer.

Increased neopterin concentrations are reported in patients with activation of macrophages by interferon-γ, which includes the following: viral infections, autoimmune disorders, allograft rejection, and various malignant tumors. In patients with several types of cancer, high-neopterin concentrations in body fluids like serum/plasma, urine, ascites, and cerebrospinal fluid indicate the course of the disease, and it is associated with poor prognosis. In the light of foregoing, we aimed to investigate the role of neopterin as a prognostic biomarker in endometrial cancer.

Materials and Methods Serum neopterin concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and urinary neopterin by high-performance liquid chromatography in 41 patients with endometrial cancer (group 2) and 41 healthy women (group 1).

Results Increased urinary neopterin levels were observed in patients with endometrial cancer (P < 0.001), and the difference in the urinary neopterin levels between low and high stages of endometrial cancer was significant (P < 0.01; stage I–II vs stage III–IV, respectively). Serum neopterin levels did not show a significant difference in each group.

Conclusions This study suggests that urinary neopterin levels are relevant in evaluating the endometrial cancer stage and follow-up of the disease. As a result, using neopterin and cancer antigen 125 together would be useful in determining the prognosis of endometrial cancer and its posttreatment progression.

  • Endometrial cancer
  • Neopterin
  • New marker

https://doi.org/10.1097/IGC.0000000000000952

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    Footnotes

    • The authors declare no conflicts of interest.