[Expression and clinical significance of TGF-beta1 and its signaling pathway proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
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.
Sun
Rui
R
State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, PR China.
Chen
Ming-Yuan
MY
Sun
Jian
J
Zhang
Ying
Y
Zhang
Chang-Qing
CQ
Hou
Jing-Hui
JH
Hong
Ming-Huang
MH
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
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