title: Epidermal growth factor receptor-binding growth factors in the urine of patients with cancers of the digestive tract.
abstract: We aimed to assess the diagnostic application of urinary epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-binding growth factors in cancers of the digestive tract. By radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay, we determined these growth factors in 115 patients with various cancers of the digestive tract, 30 patients with benign disease, and 40 healthy controls. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and likelihood ratio were employed to determine the best diagnostic efficiency. Urinary EGFR-binding growth factors in each cancer group were significantly higher than those in the non-cancer groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that the growth factors, determined by both the radioreceptor assay (odds ratio, 1.184; 95% confidence interval,1.077-1.302; P = 0.001) and radioimmunoassay (odds ratio,1.055; 95% confidence interval, 1.002-1.111; P = 0.039), were associated, in a dose-related fashion, with the presence of cancers. By ROC curve analysis, the optimal cutoff values for EGFR-binding growth factors were 25.5 microg/g creatinine (radioreceptor assay) and 33.6 microg/g creatinine (radioimmunoassay). The resulting sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 84.4%. 87.5%, 85.2%, 6.75 and 0.18 (for radioreceptor assay) and 86.1%, 67.5%, 81.3%, 2.64 and 0.21 (for radioimmunoassay), respectively. Except for pancreatic cancer the growth factors showed moderate diagnostic efficiency for the other digestive tract cancers. In conclusion, urinary EGFR-binding growth factors were increased in cancers of the digestive tract. They may be used as diagnostic tumor markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University College of Medicine,Taiwan.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000652:urine*; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000652:urine*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006133:Growth Substances; D008024:Ligands; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D010450:Endopeptidases