[Immunosuppressive acid protein in pregnant females and in patients with ovarian cancer].

Serum levels of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) were determined in 48 healthy controls (age: means = 37.8 +/- 13.8 years) and 72 pregnant women (age: means = 27.05 +/- 5.5 years). The mean value of IAP in pregnant women (345.3 +/- 94.4 micrograms/ml) was significantly lower than that of the healthy control group (P less than 0.0001; 452.0 +/- 95.0 micrograms/ml). Correlated to the clinical status were 207 IAP serum values of 63 patients with ovarian cancer (age: means = 56.9 +/- 11.1). The mean value of patients with tumor progression (means = 799.3 +/- 292.2 micrograms/ml) was significantly increased compared to those of patients in remission (means = 511.0 +/- 111.9 micrograms/ml) and the control group (means = 463 +/- 146.8 micrograms/ml; P less than 0.0001). However, no significant difference of the IAP levels was found between the group in remission and the healthy controls. With a threshold value of 640 micrograms/ml we found right-negative values in 88.7% and right-positive values in 65.1% during the follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer.