Value of HGF and TGF-β1 levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the diagnosis of early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Objective To investigate the value of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the diagnosis of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) through detection of their levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Methods Serum and BALF samples were collected from 48 cases of ES-NSCLC (at stage 1 and 2), 45 cases of medium and advanced NSCLC (at stage 3 and 4), 42 cases of benign pulmonary nodule and 30 controls for the study. The levels of HGF and TGF-β1 were respectively detected by ELISA, and their differences were analyzed between the 4 groups. The relationship between HGF and TGF-β1 levels and tumor size, differentiation and pathological type was further analyzed, and sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of ES-NSCLC was evaluated in the study. Results The levels of HGF and TGF-β1 in BALF of the ES-NSCLC group were significantly higher than those in the benign pulmonary nodule group and the normal control group (P 0.05). Serum HGF and TGF-β1 levels in the BALF of the medium and advanced NSCLC group were significantly higher than those in the ES-NSCLC group (P<0.05). The areas under the curve (AUC) in the BALF of HGF and TGF-1 were respectively 0.754 and 0.839. When the levels of 59.32pg/ml and 98.52pg/ml were selected as the optimal cutoff values according to the Jordan index maximum method, the sensitivity of HGF and TGF-β1 in the diagnosis of ES-NSCLC were respectively 41.7% and 81.3%, and specificity were respectively 96.3% and 77.8%. Furthermore, in the patients with adenocarcinoma or tumor size larger than 3cm in diameter, higher expression levels could be detected. Conclusion High expression levels of HGF and TGF-β1 could be detected in the BALF of the patients with ES-NSCLC with high specificity. For this reason, it has certain clinical value in the accessory diagnosis of ES-NSCLC. Key words: Hepatocyte growth factor; Transforming growth factor-β1; Early stage non-small cell lung cancer; Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid