Clinical Significance of Serum basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Kim, Kyeong Hee; Lee, Hyun Moo; Lee, Kang Hyun

Abstract

PURPOSE: We assessed the significance of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) as candidate tumor marker and prognostic predictor for renal cell carcinoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The serum concentration of bFGF was determined in 51 patients with renal cell carcinoma and in 33 healthy adults by quantitative sandwich immunoassay. We examined the prognostic value of the serum bFGF level and its association with other clinicopathological parameters such as tumor stage and grade.
RESULTS
The mean value of serum bFGF in patients with renal cell carcinoma (15.3+/-11.12pg/ml) was statistically higher than that of the control group (3.8+/-1.87pg/ml). The correlations between serum bFGF and tumor stage, distant metastasis, Fuhrman's nuclear grade and venous invasion, were found in this study. While a correlation between serum bFGF and lymphatic invasion was not found in it. Serum levels of bFGF after radical nephrectomy in 38 patients with renal cell carcinoma statistically decreased. BFGF had prognostic relevance for recurrence and development of metastasis in renal cell carcinoma. Fuhrman's nuclear grade had the most significant correlation to serum bFGF. The mean value of bFGF were noticed as 4.9+/-3.1pg/ml, 10.3+/-5.9 pg/ml, 18.2+/-11.8pg/ml, and 22.7+/-7.0pg/ml of patients in G1, G2, G3 and G4, respectively. In high grade tumors, bFGF levels were higher than that of low grade tumors (p=0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS
Serum bFGF seems to be useful as diagnostic and assistant follow-up tumor marker in patients with renal cell carcinoma. And it seems to be effective as prognostic predictor for the recurrence and development of metastases in same patients.