Deciphering the role of transforming growth factor-beta 1 as a diagnostic-prognostic-therapeutic candidate against hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 2 Research progress on the clinical utility of transforming growth factor-beta 1 as a prognostic marker against hepatocellular carcinoma

Ref.	Sample size HCC/control	Sample and assay type	TGF-β1 level		Survival rate (%), (patients with higher TGF-β1 vs patients with lower TGF-β1)		Outcome of the study
[75]	571/551	Plasma	Control: 3.58 ± 0.17 log10 pg/mL		1 yr survival (47 vs 60)	3 yr survival (28 vs 36) P < 0.05	Plasma TGF-β1 levels showed a positive correlation with tumor size, invasion and extrahepatic metastasis and inversely correlated with survival rates in HCC patients
		ELISA	Cirrhotic: 3.20 ± 0.37 log10 pg/mL
			HCC: 3.83 ± 0.31 log10 pg/mL
[83]	126	Tumor tissue	84% samples (106/126) showed high intra-tumoral TGF-β1 expression		5 yr survival (8.5 vs 45.6)		TGF-β1 and FGFR4 were positively correlated in HCC tumor tissues and showed a significant association with shorter survival rates in patients
		Immunohistochemistry	64.3% samples (81/126) showed high peri-tumoral TGF-β1 expression
[80]	84/20	Tumor tissue	TGF-β1 overexpression found in 59.5% samples (50/84) than that of normal liver tissue		1 yr survival (28 vs 79.4)	5 yr survival (12 vs 62.6)	TGF-β1 expression was dominant, whereas ELF expression was suppressed in HCC tissues
		Immunohistochemistry					Patients with high TGF-β1 and lower ELF expression are associated with poor overall survival and post-operative disease free survival compared with low TGF-β1 and high ELF group
[76]	184/30	Plasma and tumor tissue	Elevated plasma TGF-β1 level		2 yr survival ( 51 vs 77)	3 yr survival (4 vs 68), P < 0.05	Higher TGF-β1 expression in tumor tissues triggers Treg cells mediated immunosuppression in tumor microenvironment and contribute to poor prognosis in HCC
		ELISA and immunohistochemistry	TGF-β1 was strongly stained in tumor tissue
[84]	40	Serum	Before RFA: 63.22 ± 23.61 ng/mL	After RFA: 56.33 ± 24.24 ng/mL	NA		Radiofrequency ablation lowered TGF-β1 and AFP L3% expression in HCC patients
		ELISA					Low TGF-β1 and AFP L3% levels were observed in the no recurrence group, suggesting its potential as prognostic markers for HCC

ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; TGF-β: Transforming growth factor-beta; AFP: Alpha feto protein; ELF: Embryonic liver fodrin; FGFR: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4.