Expression of TGF-β_1 in human breast cancer

Aim: To study the relationship between the expression of TGF-β_1 in breast cancer and different clinialpathological stages. Methods: Immunohistochemical streptavidin/peroxidase technique was used to detect the expression of TGF-β_1 in 12 cases of breast cancer in situ,50 cases of invasive cancer,and 15 cases of normal breast tissue.Among 62 cases of breast cancer,17 cases were at 0 ～Ⅰ stage,and 45 case were at Ⅱ～Ⅲ stage according to TNM staging.Results: The expression of TGF-β_1 had significant difference between the normal breast tissue group and the breast cancer group( P=0.041),between the 0 ～Ⅰstage and Ⅱ～Ⅲstage in the breast cancer(P=0.026),and between the group with axillary lymph node metastasis and that without (P=0.018).But there was no significant difference between different histological grades(P=0.538). Conclusion: TGF-β_1 may be useful to estimate the clinical pathological stage and the focus of micrometastasis in breast cancer.