SERUM LEVELS OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-ALPHA IN PATIENTS AFTER PARTIAL-HEPATECTOMY AS DETERMINED WITH AN ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY

A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring serum trans forming growth factor-alpha levels was developed with monoclonal IgM a nd polyclonal IgG antihuman transforming growth factor-alpha antibodie s and a system to amplify the activity of the conjugated enzyme. The a ssay detected serum transforming growth factor-a levels as low as 5 pg /ml. Serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels were below the dete ction limit of the assay in 19% of healthy adults, with a mean (+/-S.D .) detectable level of 22.0 +/- 16.7 pg/ml. In 13 patients who underwe nt partial hepatectomy, serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels were determined serially after surgery. The levels were increased with in 28 days of surgery in all the patients, with a mean maximal level o f 118.2 +/- 90.8 pg/ml. The maximal level achieved in each case correl ated significantly with the resected volume of the liver and the incre ased volume of the remaining liver 28 days after hepatectomy (r = 0.59 , p < 0.05, and r = 0.71, p < 0.005, respectively). In contrast, serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels showed no increase after lapa rotomy for nonhepatic surgery. Serum transforming growth factor-alpha levels may vary depending on the regenerative stimulus and reflect the degree to which liver regeneration will occur in patients after parti al hepatectomy.