Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 1, February 1997

Biomarkers of Gene Expression: Growth Factors and Oncoproteins

Paul W. Brandt-Rauf

Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, New York

Abstract
This article reviews the literature on the application of methods for the detection of growth factors, oncogene proteins, and tumor-suppressor gene proteins in the blood of humans with cancer or who are at risk for the development of cancer. The research summarized here suggests that many of these biomarker assays can be used to distinguish between diseased and nondiseased states and in some instances may be able to predict susceptibility for future disease. Thus, these biomarkers could be valuable tools for monitoring at-risk populations for purposes of disease prevention and control. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 4):807-816 (1997)

Key words: growth factors, oncogene proteins, tumor-suppressor gene proteins, serum biomarkers, cancer

This paper was prepared as background for the Workshop on Susceptibility to Environmental Hazards convened by the Scientific Group on Methodologies for the Safety Evaluation of Chemicals (SGOMSEC) held 17-22 March 1996 in Espoo, Finland. Manuscript received at EHP 5 November 1996; accepted 18 November 1996.
Address correspondence to Dr. P.W. Brandt-Rauf, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B-1, New York, NY 10032. Telephone: (212) 305-3464. Fax: (212) 305-4012.
Abbreviations used: bFGF, basic fibroblast growth factor; ECD, extracellular domain; EGF, epidermal growth factor; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; EIA, enzyme immunoassay; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; IGF, insulinlike growth factor; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; RIA, radioimmunoassay; SD, standard deviation; TGFalpha, transforming growth factor alpha; TGFß, transforming growth factor ß; VC, vinyl chloride.

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Last Update: June 16, 1997