Clinical significance of combined determination of the changes of serum TGF-α, TNF-α and AFP levels after intervention therapy in patients with primary hepatic cancer

Objective: To investigate the chinical significance of changes of serum TGF-α, TNF-α and AFP levels after intervention therapy in patients with primary hepatic cancer. Methods: Serum levels of TGF-α, TNF-α and AFP (with RIA) were repeatedly determined in 32 patients with primary hepatic cancer before intervention therapy, 1 month after intervention therapy and 6 months after intervention therapy as well as in 30 controls. Results: Before intervention therapy serum levels of serum TGF-α, TNF -α and AFP in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01-0.001). One month after intervention therapy, all the serum levels were approaching normal, six months later, the levels in the patients without recurrence remained normal, however, the levels in the 9 patients with recurrence returned to those before intervention therapy again. Conclusion: Changes of ser- um TGF-α, TNF-α and AFP levels are closely related to the tumor burden and may reflect the presence of recurrence. (authors)