An elevated serum level of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with gastric carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Overexpression of transforming growth factor beta s (TGF-beta s), multifunctional polypeptides, have been reported in the tissue of various types of carcinomas, including gastric carcinoma. To our knowledge, serum levels of TGF-beta 1 have not previously been examined in patients with gastric carcinoma as a possible indicator of prognosis.


METHODS
Preoperative serum levels of TGF-beta 1 were measured in 111 patients with gastric carcinoma by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
An elevated level of TGF-beta 1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. Moreover, the preoperative serum levels of TGF-beta 1 in patients with peritoneal recurrence were significantly higher than those in patients both with lymph node recurrence and without recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum level of TGF-beta 1 might be useful for predicting recurrence patterns and prognosis in patients with gastric carcinoma.
Saito
H
H
First Department of Surgery, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
Tsujitani
S
S
Oka
S
S
Kondo
A
A
Ikeguchi
M
M
Maeta
M
M
Kaibara
N
N
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1