Human epididymis protein 4 as a tumor marker in ovarian cancer

HE4, Human epididymis protein is a whey acidic domain containing protein. It has serine protease inhibitor activity and also provides immunity against microorganisms. HE4 has emerged as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Limited success has been achieved using CA125 (Cancer Antigen 125), which is the only biomarker used for ovarian cancer. CA125 shows low sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of early stage ovarian cancer (OC). HE4 has major advantage over CA125 as it helps to distinguish malignant masses from benign one. Several studies have shown the up regulation of serum HE4 values in ovarian cancer. Trials are going on to examine its role as a serological tumor biomarker and as a target for gene based therapy. HE4 has also led to the development of Risk of malignancy algorithm (ROMA) which helps to identify the risk of development of malignancy in an ovarian mass.
In this review, we are going to discuss about the discovery, of HE4, its biological significance and its role as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.