PLASMA TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA LEVELS IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

We investigated whether the concentration of circulating transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) yields diagnostic value in breast cancer . Blood was collected from twenty stage I and II breast cancer patient s both prior to treatment and after surgical excision of the tumour. B oth latent and active TGF beta were quantified directly in the blood p lasma using a bioassay. The average plasma TGF beta level in breast ca ncer patients was 20.8+/-8.5 ng/ml (n=20; mean +/- SD), which was not different from normal controls. Elevated plasma TGF beta levels (> ave rage control +/- 2SD) were found in 5% (1/20) of the controls and in 2 5% (5/20) of the patients. Correlation was not found between plasma TG F beta level and tumour type nor with tumour stage. Following surgical excision of the tumour, plasma TGF beta levels were not significantly altered. Thus, our data show that plasma TGF beta levels do not revea l diagnostic value for early stage breast cancer. Determination of the pretreatment plasma TGF beta value of the individual patient might, h owever, still be meaningful since it appears to be predictive for its normal tissue reaction following cancer therapy.