title: Urinary transforming growth factor-beta1 levels correlate with bladder outlet obstruction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Urinary transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) levels have been shown to correlate with elevated intrapelvic pressure associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Other studies have evaluated urinary TGF-beta1 levels in prostate cancer. This study tests the hypothesis that urinary TGF-beta1 levels might correlate with objective measures of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three men (age: 46-85 years) with lower urinary tract symptoms underwent urodynamic studies consisting of non-invasive uroflowmetry, cystometrogram and voiding pressure flow studies. Patients were classified as obstructed (n = 17) or not obstructed (n = 6) based on Abrams-Griffith nomograms. Urinary TGF-beta1 was extracted from an aliquot of urine obtained at the time of bladder catheterization for urodynamic studies. Urinary TGF-beta1 levels were then determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a strong correlation between urinary TGF-beta1 levels and the presence of obstruction by Abrams-Griffith nomogram criteria (P = 0.025). Urinary TGF-beta1 levels were significantly higher in men with obstruction (0.039 +/- 0.011 pg/mL) than in men without obstruction (0.029 +/- 0.009 pg/mL; P = 0.036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinary TGF-beta1 levels correlate with objective measures of BOO. Further study is needed to test the utility of urinary TGF-beta1 as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for BOO.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California 92103-8897, USA. mmonga@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monga
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Gabal-Shehab
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000652:urine*; D001748:Urinary Bladder Neck Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D014563:Urodynamics
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta