title: [Expression and clinical significance of TGF-beta1 and its signaling pathway proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) has various biological functions, and plays important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. This study was to investigate the expression and clinical significance of TGF-beta1 and its signaling pathway proteins (TGF-beta1 receptors TGFbetaRI and TGFbetaRII, cytoplasmic mediator Smad4) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of TGF-beta1, TGFbetaRI, TGFbetaRII, and Smad4 in 91 specimens of NPC was detected by SP immunohistochemistry. Their correlations to local relapse, distant metastasis and survival rate of the patients were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of TGF-beta1, TGFbetaRI, TGFbetaRII and Smad4 were 69.2%, 73.6%, 62.6% and 72.5% in NPC. The differences in the positive rates of TGF-beta1 (0, 12.7%, 50.8%, and 36.5%) and TGFbetaRII (0, 15.8%, 54.4%, and 29.8%) among stageI, II, III and IV NPC were significant (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the expression of TGFbetaRI and Smad4. The local relapse rate was significantly higher and 5-year overall survival rate was significantly lower in TGF-beta1-positive patients than in TGF-beta1-negative patients (22.2% vs. 3.6%, P<0.05û 63.5% vs. 82.1%, P<0.05). All the 4 proteins had no correlation to the distant metastasis of NPC (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autocrine TGF-beta1 exists in NPC patients, which is correlated to the local relapse and survival.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ming-Yuan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Ming-Huang
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051901:Smad4 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II