title: Serum levels of transforming growth factor-alpha in patients after partial hepatectomy as determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
abstract: A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels was developed with monoclonal IgM and polyclonal IgG antihuman transforming growth factor-alpha antibodies and a system to amplify the activity of the conjugated enzyme. The assay detected serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels as low as 5 pg/ml. Serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels were below the detection limit of the assay in 19% of healthy adults, with a mean (+/- S.D.) detectable level of 22.0 +/- 16.7 pg/ml. In 13 patients who underwent partial hepatectomy, serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels were determined serially after surgery. The levels were increased within 28 days of surgery in all the patients, with a mean maximal level of 118.2 +/- 90.8 pg/ml. The maximal level achieved in each case correlated significantly with the resected volume of the liver and the increased volume of the remaining liver 28 days after hepatectomy (r = 0.59, p < 0.05, and r = 0.71, p < 0.005, respectively). In contrast, serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels showed no increase after laparotomy for nonhepatic surgery. Serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels may vary depending on the regenerative stimulus and reflect the degree to which liver regeneration will occur in patients after partial hepatectomy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomiya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha