ROLES OF THE TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR BETA-1 AND ITS TYPE-I AND TYPE-II RECEPTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PULMONARY ADENOCARCINOMA - RESULTS OF AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

Background: In the United States, pulmonary adenocarcinomas have recen tly replaced squamous cell carcinomas as the most frequent type of lun g cancer encountered. The incidence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma contin ued to increase worldwide. Method: To determine the roles of the trans forming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), and TGF-beta type I recepto r (T beta R-I), and the TGF-beta type II receptor (T beta R-II) in the progression of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, their respective expressio ns have been immunohistologically studied in specimens from 120 pulmon ary adenocarcinoma patients. Result: The overall prognosis was signifi cantly poorer for patients showing positive TGF-beta 1, T beta R-I, T beta R-II expressions than for patients who were negative to all three immunostainings (P < 0.01). Our multivariate analysis also revealed t hat a positive TGF-beta 1 response significantly affect prognosis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: TGF-beta 1, T beta R-I, and T beta R-II play impo rtant roles in tumor progression, and a positive TGF-beta 1 expression can serve as a pulmonary adenocarcinoma marker. T beta R-I and T beta R-II expressions are necessary for TGF-beta signal transduction. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.