Erschienen in:
Urologia Internationalis, 60 (1998) 4, Seite 205-207
Sprache:
Englisch
DOI:
10.1159/000030255
ISSN:
0042-1138;
1423-0399
Entstehung:
Anmerkungen:
Beschreibung:
<b>Purpose:</b> The most worrying problem with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) seems to be the prediction of metastases by means of tumor-specific markers. Therefore, much effort is committed to the development of new markers. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The level of latent transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) was measured in plasma samples by ELISA. These samples were collected from patients with RCC before they underwent radical nephrectomy, from patients 1 h after extracorporeal lithotripsy, from patients with pyelonephritis, and from healthy controls. <b>Results:</b> In all cases of RCC the levels of latent TGF-β1 in plasma were much higher (n = 20, 41.0 ± 13.9 ng/ml, range 19.3–78.1 ng/ml) than in healthy controls (n = 20, 3.8 ± 2.9 ng/ml, range 0.6–9.9 ng/ml, p < 0.0001). The TGF-β1 levels in plasma after extracorporeal lithotripsy (n = 20, 7.4 ± 4.64 ng/ml, range 2.9–21.7 ng/ml, p < 0.01) and in patients suffering from pyelonephritis (n = 20, 18.93 ± 14.2 ng/ml, range 4.2–46.7 ng/ml, p < 0.001) were also higher than in healthy controls. <b>Conclusion:</b> We conclude that increased levels of latent TGF-β1 are common in the plasma of RCC patients. The TGF-β1 plasma level in RCC was found to be significantly higher than in cases of inflammation. Thus, TGF-β1 is a possible tumor-prognostic marker in RCC.