Increased transforming growth factor beta1 plasma level in patients with renal cell carcinoma: a tumor-specific marker?
OBJECTIVE
The most worrying problem with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) seems to be the prediction of metastases by means of tumor-specific markers. Therefore, much effort is committed to the development of new markers.


METHODS
The level of latent transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) was measured in plasma samples by ELISA. These samples were collected from patients with RCC before they underwent radical nephrectomy, from patients 1 h after extracorporeal lithotripsy, from patients with pyelonephritis, and from healthy controls.


RESULTS
In all cases of RCC the levels of latent TGF-beta1 in plasma were much higher (n = 20, 41.0 +/- 13.9 ng/ml, range 19.3-78.1 ng/ml) than in healthy controls (n = 20, 3.8 +/- 2.9 ng/ml, range 0.6-9.9 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). The TGF-beta1 levels in plasma after extracorporeal lithotripsy (n = 20, 7.4 +/- 4. 64 ng/ml, range 2.9-21.7 ng/ml, p < 0.01) and in patients suffering from pyelonephritis (n = 20, 18.93 +/- 14.2 ng/ml, range 4.2-46.7 ng/ml, p < 0.001) were also higher than in healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that increased levels of latent TGF-beta1 are common in the plasma of RCC patients. The TGF-beta1 plasma level in RCC was found to be significantly higher than in cases of inflammation. Thus, TGF-beta1 is a possible tumor-prognostic marker in RCC.
Wunderlich
H
H
Department of Urology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
Steiner
T
T
Kosmehl
H
H
Junker
U
U
Reinhold
D
D
Reichelt
O
O
Zermann
D H
DH
Schubert
J
J
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008096:Lithotripsy; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000097:blood; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta