Preoperative serum samples were available of 46 patients with TETs (17 TAMG, 29 non-TAMG) and 30 patients with MG for analysis of Activin A and Follistatin blood levels. Forty-nine sex and age-matched healthy volunteers were used as controls. Pre - and postoperative serum samples were available in a subset of 30 patients with TETs. Postoperative serum samples were collected in patients who underwent primary surgery 6 to 12 months ago, who did not receive adjuvant therapy within the last month, and who did not have signs of recurrence or a 2nd malignancy.
To assess Activin A and Follistatin serum concentrations, we used the commercial available human Activin A ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA, DuoSet® human Activin A, DY338) and human Follistatin ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA, DuoSet® human Follistatin, DY669). All tests were performed according to the Manufacture’s protocols. Samples were measured in duplicates and researches performing the assays were blinded to the groups associated with each sample.
Additionally to Activin A and Follistatin serum concentrations, Fibrinogen, CRP, heat shock protein 27 and 70, and molecules of the RAGE axis (sRAGE, esRAGE, HMGB1) as previously shown, were correlated with MVD3 ,14 ,46 (link),49 (link).
To assess Activin A and Follistatin serum concentrations, we used the commercial available human Activin A ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA, DuoSet® human Activin A, DY338) and human Follistatin ELISA kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA, DuoSet® human Follistatin, DY669). All tests were performed according to the Manufacture’s protocols. Samples were measured in duplicates and researches performing the assays were blinded to the groups associated with each sample.
Additionally to Activin A and Follistatin serum concentrations, Fibrinogen, CRP, heat shock protein 27 and 70, and molecules of the RAGE axis (sRAGE, esRAGE, HMGB1) as previously shown, were correlated with MVD3 ,14 ,46 (link),49 (link).