Beta lactoglobulin homologue placental protein 14 (PP14) in serum of patients with trophoblastic disease and non-trophoblastic gynecologic malignancy.

Serum levels of beta lactoglobulin homologue placental protein 14 (PP14) were measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in various trophoblastic diseases and non-trophoblastic gynecologic malignancies. While trace amounts of protein were detected in sera of non-pregnant subjects (22.3 +/- 13.7 micrograms/l), during first half of normal pregnancy a dramatic rise of serum-PP14 levels was demonstrable with a peak-value at 7th-10th week of gestation, followed by a decline thereafter. Serial determinations of PP14 have been performed in 31 patients with trophoblastic tumour (20 hydatidiform moles, 4 invasive moles and 7 choriocarcinomas). In patients with hydatidiform moles and invasive moles (273.5 +/- 106.5 micrograms/l and 162.2 +/- 109.6 micrograms/l) respective values before therapy were much exceeding the non-pregnant controls. After therapy there was a rapid decline of the serum-PP14 levels within two weeks. In patients with choriocarcinoma the PP14 values were moderately elevated (66.4 +/- 25.7 micrograms/l), and declined following the remission of disease. In 32 gynecological tumours (21 carcinomas of the cervix, 4 endometrial carcinomas, 5 ovarian carcinomas, 2 carcinomas of the vulva) the pretreatment levels were not different to normal controls.