TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA-1 SERUM CONCENTRATION IN PATIENTS WITH PROSTATIC-CANCER AND BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

Objective To assess serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), normally markedly elevated in prostate cancer tissue, in patients with cancer of the prostate. and to correlate these levels w ith tumour stage and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Pat ients and methods Serum TFG-beta 1 and PSA levels were determined in 3 2 patients with untreated prostate cancer, Patients were divided into: group 1, 14 patients with pTl-3pNOMO; group 2, four with Tl-3pN+MO; a nd group 3, 14 with Tl-4NxM+. Ten patients with histologically confirm ed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) served as controls. Results The median TGF-beta 1 levels were no different between patients with cance r or BPH (30.7 ng/mL and 26.9 ng/mL, respectively; P > 0.05). Furtherm ore, there was no increase in TGF-beta 1 concentrations with advancing tumour stage (group 1, 34.1 ng/mL: group 2, 33.0 ng/mL; group 3, 28.3 ng/mL; P > 0.05). There was no correlation with PSA levels (group 1, r = -0.42; group 2, r = -0.43; group 3, r = -0.23; BPH, r = 0.38). Con clusion TGF-beta 1 levels did not discriminate between patients with B PH and prostate cancer, and there was no increase in TGF-beta 1 levels with advancing tumour stage.