Vol. 44 (1): 38-44, January – February, 2018

doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0007

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Daniel D’Oliveira Silva 1, Jorge A. P. Noronha 1, Bartira E. Pinheiro da Costa 2, Pedro Caetano Edler Zandona 1, Gustavo F. Carvalhal 1
1 Departamentos de Urologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil; 2 Instituto de Pesquisas Biomédicas (BEP), Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

 

ABSTRACT

Purpose: to determine the usefulness of serum TF as a potential marker for patients with clear cell RCC.

Materials and Methods: prospective study of 30 patients with clear cell RCC submit­ted to nephrectomy and 16 controls without clear cell RCC treated surgically for other conditions. TF is a endothelium marker that was correlated with worse prognosis in a variety of solid tumors including RCC. Serum TF was collected before surgery at the operating room and in the postoperative setting after at least four weeks. Serum samples were analyzed with a commercial ELISA kit for human TF (R&D Systems®).

Results: Mean preoperative serum TF levels in clear cell RCC patients and in controls were 66.8 pg/dL and 28.4 pg/dL, respectively (p<0.001). Mean postoperative serum TF levels in clear cell RCC patients were 26.3 pg/dL. In all patients with clear cell RCC postoperative serum levels of TF were lower, with a mean reduction of 41.6 pg/dL in the postoperative setting (p<0.001). Linear regression revealed that tumor size was cor­related with the postoperative reduction of serum TF levels (p=0.037).

Conclusions: We have shown a 3-fold reduction in the median preoperative serum levels of TF in patients with clear cell RCC after surgery. We have also shown a differ­ence of the same magnitude in the serum levels of TF compared with those of a control group of patients with benign diseases. TF appears to be a useful serum marker for the presence of clear cell RCC. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.

Keywords: Kidney Neoplasms; Thromboplastin; Biomarkers

[Full Text]