Quantitation of secretory component levels in cyst fluids, ascitic fluids, and sera from ovarian adenocarcinoma patients.

A secretory component (SC) was detected by radioimmunoassay in the cyst fluids, ascitic fluids, and sera from patients with ovarian adenocarcinomas. Serous cyst fluids and ascitic fluids showed lower levels (expressed as means +/- SE) of SC (1.37 +/- 0.37 and 1.24 +/- 0.24 microgram/ml, respectively) than mucinous cyst fluids (181.50 +/- 50.40 microgram/ml). SC levels in the sera of all patients with ovarian adenocarcinoma were high (12.67 +/- 1.43 microgram/ml) when compared to SC levels in the sera of normal individuals (2.34 +/- 0.41 microgram/ml). Sera from patients with ovarian cancers diagnosed as serous, mucinous, papillary, and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas showed SC levels of 9.93 +/- 1.68, 22.44 +/- 3.24, 7.35 +/- 1.13, and 10.10 +/- 1.58 microgram/ml, respectively.