Loss of expression of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor correlates with high tumour grade in human breast in-situ and invasive carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Loss of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGFbeta-RII) expression has been associated with resistance to TGFbeta-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation and tumour progression. We investigated whether the expression of TGFbeta-RII is related to the progression of human breast cancer and whether there is a correlation between TGFbeta-RII expression and phenotypic markers of biological aggressiveness.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect TGFbeta-RII in archival breast samples including benign proliferative lesions, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive mammary carcinomas (IMC). Neoplastic cells showed reduced expression of TGFbeta-RII in comparison to the normal breast tissue and benign lesions. There was a significant inverse correlation between loss of TGFbeta-RII expression and tumour grade within both DCIS (P = 0.004) and IMC (P = 0.001) groups. There was an inverse correlation between TGFbeta-RII expression and both mitotic count (P = 0.001) and clinical stage (P = 0.004). Oestrogen receptor (P = 0.07) and lymph node status (P = 0.10) were not significantly associated with TGFbeta-RII expression.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that decreased expression of TGFbeta-RII may contribute to breast cancer progression and is related to a more aggressive phenotype in both in-situ and invasive carcinomas.
Gobbi
H
H
Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232-2561, USA.
Arteaga
C L
CL
Jensen
R A
RA
Simpson
J F
JF
Dupont
W D
WD
Olson
S J
SJ
Schuyler
P A
PA
Plummer
W D
WD
Page
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II