title: Serum concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta 1 in patients with benign and malignant prostatic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is found to be most markedly elevated in prostate cancer tissue. We determined the concentration of serum TGF-beta 1 in patients with cancer of the prostate (CaP), and correlated them to tumour stage and serum PSA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum TFG-beta 1 levels and serum PSA levels were determined in 80 patients with untreated CaP (Group I: pT1-3pNoMo: n = 58; Group II: T1-3pN + Mo: n = 6; Group III: T1-4NxM+: n = 16). Patients with histologically confirmed BPH (n = 50) served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median TGF-beta 1 levels were not different in CaP- and in BPH-patients (32.86 ng/ml and 35.15 ng/ml respectively; p > 0.05). Furthermore there was no increase in TGF-beta 1 concentrations with advancing tumour stage (Group I: 32.86 ng/ml; Group II: 34.3 ng/ml; Group III: 33.44 (ng/ml; p > 0.05). No correlation with PSA levels could be established (Spearman r = -0.19; p = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGF-beta 1 was found to be non-discriminative between BPH and CaP. Furthermore no TGF-beta 1 increase could be observed with advancing tumour stage in patients with CaP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, RWTH Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Fandel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Borchers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jakse
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen