title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsujitani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeguchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaibara
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1