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British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1997;76(2):244–250. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1997.369

Elevated urinary transforming growth factor-beta1 level as a tumour marker and predictor of poor survival in cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma.

J F Tsai 1, J E Jeng 1, L Y Chuang 1, M L Yang 1, M S Ho 1, W Y Chang 1, M Y Hsieh 1, Z Y Lin 1, J H Tsai 1
PMCID: PMC2223945  PMID: 9231926

Abstract

To assess the clinical relevance of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), urinary TGF-beta1 and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were determined in 94 patients with cirrhotic HCC, 94 age- and sex-matched patients with cirrhosis alone and 50 healthy adults. TGF-beta1 level in HCC was higher than in cirrhosis alone or in healthy controls (each P = 0.0001). There is an inverse correlation between TGF-beta1 and AFP levels (r = -0.292, P = 0.004). Significantly higher TGF-beta1 level was found in HCC patients with worsening Child-Pugh stages, diffuse HCC, tumour size > 3 cm, multilobular tumour and AFP < or = 20 ng ml(-1). TGF-beta1 level decreased after complete treatment with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (P = 0.0001). The median survival in HCC patients with raised TGF-beta1 was shorter than those with normal TGF-beta1 (P = 0.018). Multivariate analysis indicated that TGF-beta1 and AFP were significantly correlated with the presence of HCC. In addition, TGF-beta1 could be used as a diagnostic marker for HCC, particularly in tumours with low AFP production. In conclusion, elevated urinary TGF-beta1 level is a tumour marker and predictor of poor survival for cirrhotic HCC.

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Selected References

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