title: Prognostic significance of TGF-alpha expression in breast cancer.
abstract: A series of breast cancer biopsies from 204 women were analysed immunohistochemically for the expression of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha). Expression of TGF-alpha was intense in 119 cases (58%), weak in 63 (31%), and totally absent in 22 (11%) of the cases. No correlation was observed between the expression of TGF-alpha and tumour size, metastasis at diagnosis, histological type and grade, ER and PR status, DNA index, S-phase fraction or the expression of TGF-beta1 or beta2. However, the expression of TGF-alpha was significantly related to axillary lymph node metastasis and to low survival probability during the follow-up. These data support the earlier observations on the in vitro studies, suggesting that TGF-alpha most probably exerts an in vivo growth stimulation of female breast cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Auvinen
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lipponen
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Kataja
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Syrjänen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha