title: Clinical relevance of transforming growth factor-beta 1 in the urine of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: To assess the clinical relevance of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) in the urine of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), TGF-beta 1 was measured, by radioimmunoassay, in 140 patients with HCC, 50 cirrhotic patients, 30 patients with chronic active hepatitis, and 50 healthy controls. The results indicate that there were significantly increased urinary TGF-beta 1 levels in patients with HCC. Raised TGF-beta 1 levels were associated, in a dose-related fashion, with increased risk for development of HCC (odds ratio, 1.05, 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.07). HCC patients with raised TGF-beta 1 levels had shorter survival than those with normal TGF-beta 1 levels (p = 0.038). TGF-beta 1 levels decreased after successful anticancer therapy (p < 0.0001). There was an inverse correlation between TGF-beta 1 and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (r = -0.199, p < 0.04). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis indicated that parallel determination of TGF-beta 1 and AFP significantly increased the sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy, with a high specificity. In conclusion, raised urinary TGF-beta 1 was associated with HCC development. It is a predictor of poor prognosis, and a tumor marker for diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yang
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; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012016:Reference Values; D016019:Survival Analysis; 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