title: Significance of serum soluble Fas ligand in patients with bladder carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The interaction of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) plays an important role in cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated and natural killer cell-mediated apoptosis against tumor cells. Circulating soluble FasL (sFasL) has been suggested to provide protection from Fas-mediated apoptosis. The current study examined this possibility in patients with bladder carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of sFasL in the serum of 163 patients with bladder carcinoma were determined using an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay. Antiautologous tumor cytotoxic activity was assessed by the 12-hour chromium isotope ((51)Cr) release assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum level of sFasL in patients with bladder carcinoma was 2.5-fold higher than that in healthy donors. The level of serum sFasL in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma was 2.5-fold higher than that in patients with superficial bladder carcinoma. In addition, serum sFasL levels in patients with T1 and Tis bladder carcinoma was 2-fold and 2.7-fold higher, respectively, than levels in patients with Ta bladder carcinoma. The serum level of patients with sFasL in Grade 3 bladder carcinoma were 2.4-fold and 1.7-fold higher than that in patients with Grade 1 and Grade 2 bladder carcinoma, respectively. Patients with Ta bladder carcinoma with a low level of serum sFasL (less than the median value) had a longer postoperative tumor-free interval than patients with a high sFasL level (greater than the median value) in the 5-year follow-up. There was an apparent inverse correlation between the level of serum sFasL and antiautologous tumor cytotoxic activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current study demonstrated that the level of serum sFasL is correlated with both disease progression and increase in the tumor grade, and that an elevated serum sFasL level predicted early recurrence in patients with Ta bladder carcinoma. These findings suggest that elevated serum sFasL levels might be associated with a greater risk of disease progression and recurrence in patients with bladder carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. ymizutan@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hongo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins