Serum biomarkers
tumor necrosis
CANCER, TUMOR NECROSIS, EMD
A 12‐hour fasting blood draw was completed at baseline and at 6 months. Serum samples were kept at −80°C until assayed. Serum concentrations of adiponectin, insulin, and leptin were measured using radioimmunoassay kits (RIA kits from EMD Millipore); cancer antigen 125 (CA‐125), interleukin 6 (IL‐6), insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) were measured using ELISA kits (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN); and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was analyzed using ELISA kit (Thermofisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA); a high sensitivity CRP assay was conducted using an automated chemistry analyzer. None of the laboratory assays were approved for clinical use. Baseline and 6‐month serum samples were assayed at the same time at the end of the study, and samples from participants in both groups were included in each batch of assays. Samples were assayed in duplicate. For all samples, coefficients of variation (CV) were under 10%. Intra‐assay CVs for all assays were less than 5%. Laboratory technicians were blinded to treatment assignment.