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The free β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin as a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma

British Journal of Cancer volume 86, pages 185–189 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The free β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin β is expressed in several nontrophoblastic tumours and this is usually associated with aggressive disease. Little is known about human chorionic gonadotropin β expression in renal cancer. We determined the pretreatment levels of human chorionic gonadotropin β in serum of patients with renal cell carcinoma, and studied whether elevated levels predicted the clinical outcome. Serum samples were collected before surgery from 177 patients with renal cell carcinoma and from 84 apparently healthy controls. Human chorionic gonadotropin β in serum was measured by a highly sensitive time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. The prognostic value of human chorionic gonadotropin β, and of usual clinical and pathological variables was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, the log rank test and Cox multiple hazard regression. The serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin β were increased in 23% of the renal cell carcinoma patients and they were significantly higher in patients with renal cell carcinoma than in controls (P<0.0001). The concentrations did not correlate with clinical stage and histopathological grade, but patients with increased human chorionic gonadotropin β levels had significantly shorter survival time than those with levels below the median (cut-off 1.2 pmol l−1, P=0.0029). In multivariate analysis human chorionic gonadotropin β, tumour stage and grade were independent prognostic variables. The serum concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin β is an independent prognostic variable in renal cell carcinoma. The preoperative value of human chorionic gonadotropin β in serum may be used to identify patents with increased risk of progressive disease.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Lions Cancer Research Foundation of Umeå University, Finnish Cancer Foundation, Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, The Finska Läkaresällskapet, K Albin Johanssons stiftelse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Biomedicum Helsinki, Rm A418a Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki, FIN-00029, Finland

    K Hotakainen, A Paju, H Alfthan & U-H Stenman

  2. Department of Urology and Andrology, Umeå University, Umeå, S-901 85, Sweden

    B Ljungberg

  3. Department of Oncology, Umeå University, University, Umeå, S-901 85, Sweden

    T Rasmuson

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  1. K Hotakainen
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  2. B Ljungberg
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  3. A Paju
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  4. T Rasmuson
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  5. H Alfthan
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  6. U-H Stenman
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Correspondence to K Hotakainen.

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Hotakainen, K., Ljungberg, B., Paju, A. et al. The free β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin as a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma. Br J Cancer 86, 185–189 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6600050

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