title: Increased serum granulocyte colony stimulating factor in Turkish hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the serum levels of G-CSF in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and to compare with values in healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 30 controls were included in the study. Histological confirmation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was performed by core needle biopsy and patients with cirrhosis were classified according to the Child-Pugh score. The serum G-CSF levels of individuals in both groups were calculated as pg/ml and compared for Child-Pugh Class A, B and C patients with HCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median ages of patients with HCC and control group individuals were 58 (range:47-78) and 56 (range 45-70), respectively. Sex distributions were approximately equal. The mean serum level of G-CSF in patients with HCC was 199.4-/+112.2, as compared to 24.0-/+8.8 in the controls (p <0.001). In addition, on subgroup analysis, the serum levels of G-CSF were increased with Child-Pugh Class A, B and C, although without statistical significance (p= 0.253).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased levels of G-CSF are observed in patients with HCC. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the mechanism of G-CSF production and its effects on outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. aosmankaya@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ali Osman
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sancak
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buyukberber
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gulbahar
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benekli
authors.forename: Seren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozenirler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor