Serum transforming growth factor-beta1 level reflects disease status in patients with esophageal carcinoma after radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between changes in serum transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) level and curative effect of radiotherapy (RT) in patients with esophageal carcinoma.


METHODS
Ninety patients with histologically confirmed esophageal carcinoma were enrolled. Serum samples for TGFbeta1 analysis were obtained before and at the end of RT. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum TGFbeta1 level. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between disease status and changes in serum TGFbeta1 level.


RESULTS
Serum TGFbeta1 level in patients with esophageal carcinoma before RT was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (P < 0.001). At the end of RT, serum TGFbeta1 level was decreased in 67.82% (59/87) of the patients. The overall survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years was 48.28% (42/87), 19.54% (17/87) and 12.64% (11/87), respectively. Main causes of death were local failure and regional lymph node metastasis. In patients whose serum TGFbeta1 level decreased after RT, the survival rate at 1, 3 and 5 years was 61.02% (36/59), 28.81% (17/59) and 18.64% (11/59), respectively. The survival rate at 1 year was 17.86% (5/28) in patients whose serum TGFbeta1 level increased after RT, and all died within 18 mo (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum TGFbeta1 level may be a useful marker for monitoring disease status after RT in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
Sun
Su-Ping
SP
Department of Radiation Oncology, Changzhou Second Hospital-Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, 213003, Jiangsu Province, China. ssp56@126.com
Jin
Ye-Ning
YN
Yang
Hong-Peng
HP
Wei
Yi
Y
Dong
Zhao
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1