RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Role of TGF-β1 and its Receptors in Breast Carcinogenesis: Evaluation of Gene Expression Patterns and Clinical Implications
JF Chinese Journal of Clinical Oncology
JO Cancer Biol Med
FD China Anti-Cancer Association
SP 153
OP 159
DO 10.1007/s11805-007-0153-1
VO 4
IS 3
A1 Wang, Wenjing
A1 Shin, Aesun
A1 Cai, Qiuyin
A1 Ren, Zefang
A1 Shu, Xiao-Ou
A1 Gao, Yutang
A1 Moses, Harold I.
A1 Lu, Wei
A1 Zheng, Wei
YR 2007
UL http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/4/3/153.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a multifunctional cytokine that may play an important role in tumor development and progression.METHODS We evaluated gene expression patterns of TGF-β1 and its receptors [transforming growth factor β type I receptor (TβR-I) and transforming growth factor β type II receptor (TβR-II)] in tumor tissue from patients with breast cancer or with benign breast diseases (BBD) and adjacent normal tissue from the patients with breast cancer. Included in the study were 527 breast cancer patients and 213 BBD patients who participated in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study.RESULTS The expression levels of the TGF-β1, TβR-1 and TβR-II genes in breast tissue were quantified using real-time PCR. TβR-II expression in cancer tissue was decreased by over 50% as compared to either adjacent normal tissue from the same patients or benign tumor tissue from BBD patients (p<0.001). TGF-β1 expression was lower by approximately 20% in cancer tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue (p=0.14) or to benign tumor tissue (p=0.002). Although TβR-1 expression was also reduced in cancer tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue, or benign tumor tissue, the magnitude of the reduction was less apparent than that for TβR-II. Compared to patients with the lowest tertile value for TβR-II, patients with median tertile value for TβR-II had more favorable overall survival (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.27-0.85) and disease-free survival (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.39-1.06). No apparent associations, however, were observed between TGF-β1 or TβR-I expression and overall or disease-free survival.CONCLUSION The results from this study support the hypothesis that a decreased level of TβR-II gene expression, and thus reduced TGF-β1 sensitivity, is related to breast tumor progression.