Aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in serum—an indicator of clinical behavior of advanced ovarian carcinoma?

Abstract
In ovarian carcinoma, elevated serum concentrations of the aminoterminal propeptide of type-Ill procollagen are related to the clinical stage of the disease and to the presence of ascites, which contains very high concentrations of the pro-peptide. In a follow-up of patients with advanced disease, favorable clinical course was associated with normalizing pro-pep tide values, whereas in progressing disease the values increased several weeks before clinical progression. In stable disease the concentrations were constantly above the reference range. Laminin and type-IV-collagen-related serum antigens were mostly within the reference range.