New Orleans, LA -- Each year, there are more than 27,000 new cases of ovarian cancer and 14,000 deaths due to this deadly disease. Sadly, preventative measures cannot help decrease these numbers in ovarian cancer because there are no symptoms in early-stage disease, no lack of readily recognizable and detectable precursor lesions, and the no specific and sensitive screening tests. Consequently, in more than 75 percent of patients with epithelial carcinoma of the ovary, retroperitoneal or intra-abdominal spread is present at diagnosis.

Background
The atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) influences the tone and caliber of blood vessels and has a potential role in modulating volume homeostasis, i.e. the state of equilibrium in the body with respect to various functions and to the chemical compositions of the fluids and tissues. ANP is secreted by atrial myocytes as a 126 aminoacid molecule and divided into different fragments, namely proANP(1-30) (NtANP), proANP(31-67) (mdANP), proANP(79-98) and the active ANP(99-126).

Similar properties have been reported in previous research studies for ANP and proANP-(1-30). A University of South Florida research finding demonstrated that plasma ANP levels in gynecologic cancer patients were significantly higher than those in healthy, non-pregnant women. Now, physiologists from the same institution have attempted to extend their original observations on ANP in gynecologic malignancy, in particular to examine the possible relationship between ANP and proANP-(1-30) levels in plasma and ascites fluid (serous fluid from the peritoneal cacity) in primary cancer of the ovaries.

The authors of a new study entitled, Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) and proANP-(1-30) levels in Gynecologic Malignancy," are Papineni S. Rao, PhD, Richard J. Cardosi, MD, John R. Dietz, PhD, James V. Fiorica, MD, Edward C. Grendys, jr, MD, and Mitchel S. Hoffman, MD, from the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Physiology & Bi
'"/>

Contact: Donna Krupa
703-967-2751
American Physiological Society
22-Apr-2002

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Older pilots OK to fly, study shows
2. NATO picks promising pollution solution at NASAs Marshall Center for pilot study program
3. ORNL material could help pilots keep their cool
4. Fewer airline crashes linked to pilot error
5. NY pilot study pushes Human Genome Project toward cures for disease
6. Student science contest participation influences study, career choices, alumni say
7. New study shows hope for treating inhalant abuse
8. International study findings link acne-like rash to effectiveness of new targeted cancer treatment
9. Cigarette smoke causes breaks in DNA and defects to a cells chromosomes, Pitt study finds
10. New study indicates arsenic could be suitable as first-line treatment in type of leukaemia
11. Phase II trials of second-generation antisense cancer drug planned following successful early study