Ly. Chuang et al., Epidermal growth factor receptor-binding growth factors in the urine of patients with cancers of the digestive tract, J GASTRO, 35(8), 2000, pp. 598-606
We aimed to assess the diagnostic application of urinary epidermal growth f
actor receptor (EGFR)-binding growth factors in cancers of the digestive tr
act. By radioreceptor assay and radioimmunoassay, we determined these growt
h factors in 115 patients with various cancers of the digestive tract, 30 p
atients with benign disease, and 40 healthy controls. The receiver operatin
g characteristic (ROC) curve and likelihood ratio were employed to determin
e the best diagnostic efficiency. Urinary EGFR-binding growth factors in ea
ch cancer group were significantly higher than those in the non-cancer grou
ps. Multivariate analysis indicated that the growth factors, determined by
both the radioreceptor assay (odds ratio, 1.184; 95% confidence interval, 1
.077-1.302; P = 0.001) and radioimmunoassay (odds ratio, 1.055; 95% confide
nce interval, 1.002-1.111: P = 0.039), were associated, in a dose-related f
ashion, with the presence of cancers. By ROC curve analysis, the optimal cu
toff values for EGFR-binding growth factors were 25.5 mu g/g creatinine (ra
dioreceptor assay) and 33.6 mu g/g creatinine (radioimmunoassay). The resul
ting sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and positive and negati
ve likelihood ratios were 84.4%, 87.5%, 85.2%, 6.75 and 0.18 (for radiorece
ptor assay) and 86.1%, 67.5%, 81.3%, 2.64 and 0.21 (for radioimmunoassay),
respectively. Except for pancreatic cancer the growth factors showed modera
te diagnostic efficiency for the other digestive tract cancers. In conclusi
on, urinary EGFR-binding growth factors were increased in cancers of the di
gestive tract. They may be used as diagnostic tumor markers.