ANALYSIS OF SERUM SOLUBLE INTERFERON α/β RECEPTOR LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH UROLOGICAL DISEASES

Abstract

(Purpose) In order to define the clinical significance of serum soluble Interferon α/β receptor (sIFN α/βR) levels, we determined sIFN α/βR concentrations in serum of patients with urological benign and malignant diseases.
(Materials and Methods) Serum sIFN α/βR levels were measured in normal control (n=2), patients with benign diseases (n=50) included urolithiasis (n=16), prostatic hypertrophy (n=13), and malignant diseases included bladder cancer (n=49), renal cell carcinoma (n=30) and prostate cancer (n=36) by the enzyme linked immunosolbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. The levels of serum sIFN α/βR was correlated with the results of other hematoserological examinations, and clinical or pathological characters of each urological malignancies.
(Results) The serum sIFN α/βR levels (pg/ml) of patients with urolithiasis (2, 370.6±640.6, p=0.0002), benign prostatic hypertrophy (2, 121.1±550.6, p=0.0103), bladder cancer (2, 512.3±1, 012.3, p=0.0006), renal cell carcinoma (2, 686.4±1, 510.9, p=0.0046), prostate cancer (3, 188.7±1, 788., p=0.0003) showed significantly higher values than those of controls (1, 709.5±346.7). Moreover, we found statistically significant correlations among serum creatinine (Cr) levels and sIFN α/βR levels. However, there were no correlations between the sIFN α/βR levels and clinical stage, or histological grade in the patients with bladder cancer or prostate cancer, whenever the levels of sIFN α/βR were corrected by serum Cr levels. On the other hand, high level of corrected serum sIFN α/βR was observed in patients with high stage or high grade renal cell carcinoma, but not significant statistically.
(Conclusions) Elevated serum sIFN α/βR was observed in patients with urological disease. Further examinations should be necessary to determine the clinical usefulness of serum sIFN α/βR.