SERUM ONCOPROTEINS IN ASBESTOSIS PATIENTS

Using ELISAs, we determined the concentrations of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), the extracellular domain of the erbB-2 recep tor (erbB-2 ECD), and mutant p53 protein in stored serum samples of as bestosis patients with and without cancer and control subjects (withou t asbestosis or cancer). The percentage of individuals in these three groups with increased serum concentrations of TGF-alpha, erbB-2 ECD, a nd mutant p53, respectively, were: asbestosis patients with cancer, 36 %, 16%, 19%; asbestosis patients without cancer, 38%, 19%, 6%; control subjects, 0%, 5%, 10%. Although differences in serum positivity for t hese oncoproteins were apparent among these groups, the differences di d not achieve statistical significance (P >0.05). In several of the ca ncer cases, increased concentrations of TGF-alpha, erbB-2 ECD, and mut ant p53 were also detected in the stored serum samples collected years before the clinical diagnosis of disease.