PLASMA THROMBOSPONDIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH GYNECOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES

Background. Thrombospondin is a high molecular weight glycoprotein, or iginally described as a secretion product of platelets, that functions as an adhesive protein in cell-cell and cell-substratum interactions. It promotes metastases in the murine model. Plasma thrombospondin has been shown to be elevated in patients with disseminated breast, lung, and gastrointestinal malignancies. Methods. Blood samples were collec ted by venipuncture into cubes containing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid as anticoagulant. They were placed on ice immediately and centrif uged under refrigerated conditions. Plasma was removed and frozen unti l thrombospondin was quantitated by a competitive enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay. Wilcoxon's two-sample rank-sum test was used to evaluat e differences between the patient and control groups. Results. The med ian plasma thrombospondin level was significantly higher in the patien t group compared with the control group, and it was directly correlate d with stage of disease, There was no correlation between platelet cou nt and thrombospondin level. Conclusions. Tumor-synthesized thrombospo ndin could explain the elevated levels in the patent group and also th e observation of the correlation between the thrombospondin level and tumor burden. Its function as an adhesive protein may allow it to act as the mediator of metastases. thrombospondin may promote or mediate t he metastatic process through its function in cell adhesion.