Expression of TGF-beta1 and the mechanism of invasiveness and metastasis induced by TGF-beta1 in breast cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2, TGF-beta1 and TGF-betaRI and the relationship among them in breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The protein expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2, TGF-beta1 and TGF-betaRI was detected on tissue chips by S-P immunohistochemical staining in 160 cases of breast carcinoma.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rates of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta1 mRNA, MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 expression were 73.7%, 56.2%, 96.9%, 95.0%, 87.5% and 89.4%, respectively. Axillary lymph node metastasis and TNM staging (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively) were positively correlated to the expression of TGF-beta1. Relase-free survival of TGF-beta1 positive group was lower than that of TGF-beta1 negative group (P = 0.023). The expression of MMP-2 or MMP-9 was positively correlated to that of TGF-beta1 (r = 0.170, P < 0.05; r = 0.221, P < 0.01) and was negatively correlated to that of TGF-beta1 mRNA (r = -0.126, P > 0.05;r = 0.019, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of TGF-beta1 may be closely correlated with the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. TGF-beta1-induced invasiveness and metastasis of breast cancer cells are mediated by MMP-2 and MMP-9.</p>