Serum manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and histological virulence of ovarian cancer.

The serum level of a scavenging enzyme, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), was examined in 78 patients with ovarian cancer. Tumors included 27 stage I, 6 stage II, 37 stage III and 8 stage IV diseases. They were classified as 43 serous, 18 mucinous, 10 clear cell and 7 endometrioid neoplasms, and grouped into 25 grade I, 27 grade II and 26 grade III cancers. Factors affecting the MnSOD level were estimated by analysis of variance and Bonferroni t-test. From these, both the stage and histology were less-effectively affected by the level, while the histological grade was estimated as effective with p < 0.05. The MnSOD value increased significantly in accordance with the escalation of the tumor grade with p = 0.02 for grade I vs II, 0.005 for II vs III, and 0.0001 for I vs III respectively. MnSOD determination may be unique as a predictor of the histological virulence of ovarian carcinoma.