RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in patients with colorectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fresh peripheral blood were obtained from 50 patients (before surgery and at least one week after surgery) and 25 healthy donors in the morning. Fresh colorectal cancer tissues and the adjacent tissues (at least 5 cm from the tumor site) were obtained from patients undergoing tumor resection. The expression levels of TGF-β1 in the blood and tissue specimens were determined using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The plasma levels of TGF-β1 in patients with colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those in the healthy donors, and decreased after the surgery (P<0.05). The tumor tissues expressed higher levels of TGF-β1 than the adjacent tissues from both CEA-negative and -positive patients. The plasma level of TGF-β1 in the patients were positively correlated with the tumor size and clinical tumor stage (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TGF-β1 combined with CEA can provide important information for the diagnosis, prognostic assessment and prediction of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer, and may provide new insights for anti-TGF-β1-based tumor immune therapeutic strategies.</p>