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Review
. 2024 Oct 1;25(10):3413-3420.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.10.3413.

Malignancy of Malignant Ascites: A Comprehensive Review of Interplay between Biochemical Variables, Tumor Microenvironment and Growth Factors

Remi Jacob  1 , Sangeerthana A  1 , Nadha Abdul Razack  1 , Samudyata C Prabhuswamimath  1
Affiliations
Review

Malignancy of Malignant Ascites: A Comprehensive Review of Interplay between Biochemical Variables, Tumor Microenvironment and Growth Factors

Remi Jacob et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

Malignant ascites, a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity, is a serious consequence of many malignancies. This review aims to comprehend the biochemical makeup of malignant ascites, such as pH, cholesterol, protein, etc., which is crucial to developing therapeutics with better treatment outcomes and hence correlate with corresponding prognostic value. The unique tumour microenvironment exhibited by malignant ascites and the crosstalk between inflammatory cells, cytokines and chemokines, interactions between tumour and non-tumour cell types, activation of vital cell signalling pathways within the TME for VEGF-regulated sustained angiogenesis, cancer progression and metastasis is highlighted. This review addresses the need to develop comprehensive assay platforms to identify various biochemical aspects of ascites, to discover the interactions of the tumour microenvironment and to study VEGF-regulated permeability that can expedite early diagnosis and progression of ascites.

Keywords: Cholesterol; Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH); Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA); Ovarian Cancer; cellular and acellular components.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration of Ascites Buildup in the Abdomen of a Female
Figure 2
Figure 2
Representation of the Complex Interplay of the Tumor Microenvironment Comprising Tumor Cells that Secrete Pro-Tumoral Cytokines and Chemokines, Growth Factors Leading to Metastases and T tumor associated Immunity
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic Representation of Cellular and Acellular Components of Ascites. The tumour and stromal cells of malignant ascites make up its cellular components. The acellular components are made up of cytokines, tumour promoting soluble factors, bioactive lipids and extracellular vesicles
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic Representation of Growth Factors of Ascites. (i)VEGF- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, (ii) PDGF- Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, (iii) EGF- Epidermal Growth Factor, (iv) βTGF- Transforming Growth Factor-β, (v) HGF- Hepatocyte Growth Factor
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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