Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 serum levels in ovarian cancer patients

The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 is an important mediator of monocyte infiltration in various solid tumours of epithelial origin. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of MCP-1 in the natural history of ovarian cancer and to determine its value as differentiation marker and prognostic marker regarding disease free and overall survival. This retrospective study comprises 86 patients with ovarian cancer, 48 with primary ovarian cancer and 38 with recurrent ovarian cancer, 67 patients with benign ovarian cysts and 42 healthy women. Median serum levels in patients with primary ovarian cancer, recurrent ovarian cancer, benign ovarian cysts and in healthy women were 535.6 (range 129.6–1200) pg ml–1, 427.3 (range 193.4–1101) pg ml–1, 371.2 (range 222–986.8) pg ml–1 and 318.7 (range 241.3–681.4) pg ml–1 respectively (Mann–Whitney U-test, P < 0.001). Univariate logistic regression models revealed a significant influence of MCP-1 serum levels on the odds of presenting with primary ovarian cancer versus benign cysts and versus healthy women respectively (univariate logistic regression, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001 respectively). In a multivariate logistic regression model considering MCP-1 and CA 125 serum levels simultaneously, both MCP-1 and CA 125 revealed statistical significance on the odds of presenting with primary ovarian cancer versus benign cysts (multivariate logistic regression, P = 0.05 and P < 0.001 respectively). In ovarian cancer patients, MCP-1 serum levels showed a statistically significant correlation with histological grade (Mann–Whitney U-test, P = 0.02) and age at the time of diagnosis (Mann–Whitney U-test, P = 0.03). Elevated MCP-1 serum levels prior to therapy were not associated with disease-free and overall survival (log-rank test, P = 0.2 and P = 0.7 respectively). In summary these data indicate that MCP-1 might play a functional role in the natural history of ovarian cancer and might serve as differentiation marker between benign ovarian cysts and ovarian cancer, providing additional information to the established tumour marker CA 125. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Mathematical surprises and Dirac's formalism in quantum mechanics

By a series of simple examples, we illustrate how the lack of mathematical concern can readily lead to surprising mathematical contradictions in wave mechanics. The basic mathematical notions allowing for a precise formulation of the theory are then summarized and it is shown how they lead to an elucidation and deeper understanding of the aforementioned problems. After stressing the equivalence between wave mechanics and the other formulations of quantum mechanics, i.e. matrix mechanics and Dirac's abstract Hilbert space formulation, we devote the second part of our paper to the latter approach: we discuss the problems and shortcomings of this formalism as well as those of the bra and ket notation introduced by Dirac in this context. In conclusion, we indicate how all of these problems can be solved or at least avoided.Comment: Largely extended and reorganized version, with new title and abstract and with 2 figures added (published version), 54 page

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha in epithelial ovarian tumors: Its impact on prognosis and on response to chemotherapy

Purpose: To investigate the impact of expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha on prognosis and on response to chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian tumors