PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - ROSA DIVELLA AU - ANTONELLA DANIELE AU - COSIMO GADALETA AU - ANTONIO TUFARO AU - MARIA TERESA VENNERI AU - ANGELO PARADISO AU - MICHELE QUARANTA TI - Circulating Transforming Growth Factor-β and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor as Related to Virus Infection in Liver Carcinogenesis DP - 2012 Jan 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 141--145 VI - 32 IP - 1 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/32/1/141.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/32/1/141.full SO - Anticancer Res2012 Jan 01; 32 AB - Background: The aim of our study was to improve the detection of HCC by measuring alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in addition to other molecular markers by estimating the plasma concentration of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In particular, the role of hepatitis C and B viruses (HCV and HBV) infection was evaluated with relation to TGF-β and EGFR plasma concentration. Materials and Methods: Eighty-five patients with liver disease, 54 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 16 with liver metastasis (LM), 15 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 30 healthy volunteers were evaluated. AFP, TGF-β and EGFR were detected with enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) in plasma of all study participants. Results: The mean values of TGF-β and EGFR in all patients were much higher than in control group, p<0.0001. In HCC patients the levels of TGF-β and EGFR were much higher than in LM and LC patients. Moreover, TGF-β and EGFR were significantly higher in the presence of both viruses or only in the presence of HCV, p=0.002. No decrease or increase of AFP was noted in these patients. Conclusion: Our data suggest the reliability of TGF-β and EGFR in detecting HCC, in particular when the carcinogenesis is affected by virus infection.