激活素和抑制素与卵巢肿瘤的研究进展

卵巢肿瘤是女性生殖系统最常见的恶性疾病,而且多数患者就诊时都已处于疾病的中晚期。因此临床上迫切需要找到一些更具敏感性及准确性的诊断方法,包括一些肿瘤标记物。关于激活素（activin）和抑制素（inhibin）生化性质等的研究日益成熟。两者与卵巢肿瘤的关系成为研究热点。激活素和抑制素同属于转化生长因子β（TGF-β）超家族成员,都是由性腺分泌的细胞因子。已发现,激活素和抑制素具有调节垂体分泌卵泡刺激素（FSH）的功能。激活素是β亚基的异二聚体,而α和βA亚基构成抑制素A（αβA）,α和βB组成抑制素B（αβB）。综述激活素和抑制素对卵巢肿瘤的作用。

Advance in the Study of Activin and Inhibin in Ovarian Neoplasms

Ovarian neoplasms are the most common fatal malignancy of the female reproductive tract tumor and frequently present at an advanced stage. There is,thus,a real need for more sensitive and accurate methods of early diagnosis,including better tumor markers. Studies on the biology of activin,inhibin and the relationships between activin,inhibin and ovarian neoplasms have become the focus of attention. Activin and inhibin are members of the transforming growth factor beta（TGF-β）family of cytokines produced by the gonads,with a recognised role in regulating pituitary FSH secretion. Activins are hetero-or homodimers of the beta-subunits. Inhibin consists of two homologous subunits,inhibin A consists of alpha and beta A. Inhibin B consists of alpha and beta B. This review evaluates the functional and molecular evidence showing the role of activin and inhibin in ovarian turmorigenesis.