Soluble AXL is ubiquitously present in malignant serous effusions

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the expression level and clinical role of soluble AXL (sAXL) in cancers affecting the serosal surfaces, with focus on ovarian carcinoma. Methods sAXL protein expression by ELISA was analyzed in 572 effusion supernatants, including 424 peritoneal, 147 pleural and 1 pericardial specimens. Results sAXL was overexpressed in peritoneal effusions compared to pleural and pericardial specimens (p  Conclusions sAXL is widely expressed in malignant effusions, particularly in ovarian and breast carcinoma and in malignant mesothelioma. sAXL is overexpressed in HGSC compared to LGSC and its levels are lower following exposure to chemotherapy. However, sAXL levels are not informative of chemoresponse or survival.