IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE ACIDIC PROTEIN (IAP) AND SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA ANTIGEN (SCC) IN PATIENTS WITH CERVICAL-CANCER

Immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) and squamous cell carcinoma (SC C) serum levels were assayed in a group of 63 primary cervical cancer patients. IAP serum levels were significantly higher in cancer patient s (median, 630 mug/ml; range, 290-1150) than in controls (median, 290 mug/ml; range, 135-775) (P < 0.01). The percentage of IAP-positive (>6 13 mug/ml) cases was 50.7%. SCC serum levels were found to be above 2. 5 ng/ml in 73% of cervical cancer patients, and in 6% of controls. A s tatistically significant correlation was observed between IAP and SCC levels in cancer patients (r = 0.35, P < 0.004). When IAP and SCC were considered together the overall sensitivity was 87.3% and an improvem ent of both predictive value of negative test and accuracy without any significant reduction of predictive value of positive test was found. IAP status correlated with metastatic lymph node involvement. A stati stically significant association between a shorter survival and high s erum IAP levels was observed. The 24-month overall survival (OS) was 9 2% for IAP- cases with respect to 65% for IAP+ cases (P = 0.036). In t he univariate analysis, advanced stage of disease, clinical parametria l involvement, and lymph node involvement were also associated with po or survival. In the multivariate analysis IAP status showed a statisti cally significant association with poor survival (P = 0.049), together with lymph node involvement (P = 0.007) and advanced stage of disease (P = 0.008). (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.