IGFBP-3 in epithelial ovarian carcinoma and its association with clinico-pathological features and patient survival

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) regulates the mitoge nic and anti-apoptotic actions of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). To st udy the role of IGFBP-3 in ovarian cancer progression, we measured IGFBP-3 concentrations in tumour tissues from 147 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma and examined its associations with clinicopathological features o f disease and patient survival. The average age of the patients was 54.6 ye ars (range 25-88 years) and the median follow-up time was 37 months. IGFBP- 3 levels were measured with a commercial immunoassay kit. Low IGFBP-3 level s were significantly associated with unfavourable prognostic features of th e disease, including advanced stage (P=0.048), large size of residual tumou r (P=0.007), and suboptimal debulking outcome (P=0.007). Low IGFBP-3 levels were also associated with a significantly increased risk for disease progr ession (RR = 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-3.45; P = 0.034), but the association was not sustained when other clinical and pathological vari ables were adjusted for in the analysis. No significant associations were o bserved between the IGFBP-3 level and patients' overall survival and respon se to chemotherapy. Findings of the study indicate that IGFBP-3 may play a role in the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer, but that it has no in dependent value in predicting either disease prognosis of the response of p atients to chemotherapy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .