Urinary excretion of transforming growth factor-alpha in patients with transitional cell carcinoma.
This study was performed to examine the involvement of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) in urothelial tumorigenesis. TGF-alpha urine levels were measured in patients with urothelial carcinoma (n = 68), patients who were tumor-free (n = 58), patients with non-neoplastic inflammatory disease (n = 20), and normal controls (n = 39). Both inflammatory and neoplastic urologic diseases had elevated TGF-alpha urine levels (169.5 ng/gm and 116.7 ng/gm, respectively) as compared to normal controls (39.1 ng/gm) (P = 0.0001). For patients with active cancer, TGF-alpha levels were positively associated with histologic grading (P = 0.009), nodular shape, expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in primary tumor (P = 0.03, respectively). But, there was no important relationship with staging classification, number and size of tumor (P > 0.1, respectively). TGF-alpha urine levels did not correlate with the serum content (n = 26; P > 0.5), or the immunohistochemical expression of TGF-alpha (n = 60) in corresponding tumor (P < 0.05, 0.1). Significant factors in predicting patient survival were clinical staging, nodular shape and size of tumor (P < 0.05, respectively). Our data implies that interaction of urinary TGF-alpha/urothelial epidermal growth factor receptor may play a positive role in the carcinogenesis of human urothelium.
Chow
N H
NH
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Liu
H S
HS
Chang
C J
CJ
Chi
Y C
YC
Tzai
T S
TS
Li
E I
EI
Lin
J S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006417:Hematuria / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D066246:ErbB Receptors