MACROPHAGE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AS A MARKER OF OVARIAN-CARCINOMA

Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a cytokine which stimu lates the proliferation and differentiation of phagocytic cells. We ev aluated the usefulness of M-CSF as a serum tumor marker for ovarian ma lignancies and also assessed M-CSF production by tumor cells and the r ole of an autocrine system in such M-CSF production. The findings obta ined were as follows: i) Serum M-CSF was a useful marker for malignant ovarian tumors. ii) M-CSF was a marker for both epithelial stromal tu mors and for germ cell tumors. It was also a marker for dysgerminoma, for which no specific tumor marker is currently available. iii) The va lue of combined assays employing M-CSF was confirmed. iv) M-CSF produc tion was demonstrated in various malignant ovarian tumor cell lines, b ut the presence of an autocrine system for M-CSF was not confirmed.