Hypothesis: Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) may be related to
breast cancer progression.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: University hospital.
Patients: Sixty consecutive patients with invasive breast cancer undergoing
surgery were prospectively included and evaluated. The control group consi
sted of 14 patients with benign breast tumors (7 with fibrocystic disease a
nd 7 with fibroadenoma).
Intervention: Venous blood samples were collected before the surgery. Sera
were obtained by centrifugation and stored at -70 degreesC until assayed. S
erum concentrations of TGF-beta1 were measured by quantitative sandwich enz
yme immunoassay. Data on primary tumor stage, age, estrogen receptor status
, lymph node status, distant metastases, and TNM staging (according to the
Union Internationale Contre 1e Cancer) were reviewed and recorded.
Main Outcome Measures: Measurements of preoperative serum TGF-beta1 levels
in patients with breast cancer.
Results: The mean SD value of serum TGF-beta1 in patients with invasive bre
ast cancer was 498.7 +/- 249.7 pg/mL and in the control group was 495.2 +/-
225.5 pg/mL (P=.96). However, there were significantly higher serum levels
of TGF-beta1 in patients with more advanced lymph node status (P=.04), mor
e advanced TNM stage (P=.005), and poorer histological grade (P=.02). In mu
ltivariate analysis, TNM staging (P=.02) was demonstrated to be the indepen
dent factor related to significantly higher serum levels of TGF-beta1.
Conclusions: Patients with more advanced TNM stages were shown to have high
er serum TGF-beta1 levels. Thus, serum TGF-beta1 levels may reflect the sev
erity of invasive breast.