Open AccessTransforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1)‐ and β2‐like activities in malignant pleural effusions caused by malignant mesothelioma or primary lung cancer
Author(s) -
MAEDA J.,
UEKI N.,
OHKAWA T.,
IWAHASHI N.,
NAKANO T.,
HADA T.,
HIGASHINO K.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06144.x
Subject(s) - lung cancer , mesothelioma , medicine , transforming growth factor , lung , polyclonal antibodies , pathology , transforming growth factor beta , pleural disease , cancer , antibody , respiratory disease , immunology
SUMMARY We investigated the levels of TGF‐β in malignant pleural effusions (MPE) caused by malignant mesothelioma (MESO) or primary lung cancer. TGF‐β levels in MPE caused by MESO were 283.9 ± 219.2pM (mean plusmn; s.d.) and were three to six times higher than those due to primary lung cancers ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). We also evaluated TGF‐β1‐ and β2‐like activities in MPE using specific polyclonal antibodies. Although TGF‐β1‐like activity could be detected in all cases, TGF‐β2‐like activities were detected in five of seven in MESO and in a few cases with primary lung cancer. These results demonstrate that the levels of total TGF‐β and TGF‐β2‐like activity may be clinically useful to differentiate MESO from primary lung cancer. Our data also suggest that TGF‐β may help further characterize the clinical features of MESO.