Background: Human kallikrein 10 (hK10, encoded by KLK10 gene) is a recently
discovered member of the human kallikrein family. hK10 is a secreted serin
e protease. With the development of a highly sensitive and specific immunoa
ssay for hK10, quantification of hK10 in the circulation is now feasible. O
ur aim was to investigate whether hK10 concentration in serum changes in va
rious malignancies.
Methods: We used a highly specific and sensitive immunofluorometric assay t
o quantify hK10 protein in 374 serum samples from healthy individuals and p
atients with various malignancies.
Results: Serum hK10 concentration was found to be significantly elevated in
56% of the ovarian cancer patients and such an increase was not observed i
n serum of healthy individuals or in serum of patients with other types of
cancer, with the exception of similar to 15% of patients with gastrointesti
nal cancer. This hK10 elevation does not correlate well with CA 125. We hav
e further demonstrated that hK10 concentration changes during ovarian cance
r progression.
Conclusion: This is the first report describing that hK10 serum concentrati
on is significantly elevated in the majority of ovarian cancer patients. Ou
r results indicate that hK10 may be a potential new serological marker for
ovarian cancer diagnosis and monitoring. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All
rights reserved.