title: Urinary transforming growth factor-beta 1 in relation to serum alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to assess the relationship between transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary TGF-beta 1 and serum AFP were determined in 123 HCC patients, 50 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), and 50 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both TGF-beta 1 and AFP levels were higher in HCC patients than in CLD patients or controls (each, P = 0.0001). There was a negative correlation between TGF-beta 1 and logAFP (r = -0.196, P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis indicated that TGF-beta 1 and AFP were associated with an increased risk of HCC development. By receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, determination of AFP and TGF-beta 1 in parallel significantly increased the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy in detecting HCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased urinary TGF-beta 1 level can be used as a complementary marker to AFP for detection of HCC with low AFP production.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000652:urine*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins