title: Plasma levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 before and after removal of low- and high-grade astrocytomas.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) has been reported to be a possible marker for a number of tumors, including brain tumors. The aim of this study was to measure the plasma levels of TGF-β1 in patients with low- and high-grade astrocytomas before and after surgery. This prospective study included 14 patients with low-grade astrocytomas and 25 with high-grade astrocytomas who underwent tumor removal and 13 controls (patients who underwent cranioplasty for skull bone defects). Plasma levels of TGF-β1 were measured in all subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when the level of TGF-β1 before tumor removal was ≥ 2.52 ng/ml, astrocytoma was predicted with a sensitivity of 94.9% and specificity of 100%. The mean plasma level of TGF-β1 in both the low-grade and high-grade astrocytoma groups significantly decreased after tumor removal (p<0.05); there was no significant change in TGF-β1 plasma level of the controls following surgery. Patients with high-grade astrocytomas had a significantly higher mortality rate than patients with low-grade astrocytomas (p=0.019) and significantly shorter survival (p=0.008). A positive correlation between TGF-β1 level after tumor removal and tumor volume was only found in the high-grade astrocytoma group (γ=0.597, p=0.002). The findings show that plasma TGF-β1 level was increased in patients with low-grade and high-grade astrocytoma, and that the levels significantly decreased after tumor removal in both groups. The results provide additional evidence that TGF-β1 might be useful as a tumor marker for astrocytomas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Joon-Khim
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Ann-Shung
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lieu
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chi-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Tai-Hsin
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chih-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kung-Shing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shiuh-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Aij-Lie
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Ren
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Chung-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chio
authors.forename: Shen-Long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Howng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D012372:ROC Curve; D016019:Survival Analysis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1