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Circulating transforming growth factor-β-1 and breast cancer prognosis: results from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study

  • Epidemiology
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Abstract

Introduction Studies investigating the prognostic effect of circulating TGF-β-1 in breast cancer have given inconsistent findings. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether circulating transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β-1) is associated with overall and disease-free survival in a cohort of recently diagnosed breast cancer patients. Methods We measured TGF-β-1 levels in plasma samples of breast cancer patients in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study, a population-based case–control study. We evaluated the relationship between TGF-β-1 levels and overall and disease-free survival. The median follow up time was 7.2 years. Results We observed that, compared with the patients with the lowest quartile of plasma TGF-β-1, patients with the highest quartile of plasma TGF-β-1 had significantly worse overall survival with hazards ratio (HR) = 2.78, with 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34–5.79 and disease-free survival with HR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.15–5.41, while the patients with the second and third quartiles of plasma TGF-β-1 did not have significantly different overall and disease-free breast cancer survival. The shape of association between plasma TGF-β-1 levels and breast cancer survival appears to be non-linear. Stratified analysis by stage of disease did not appreciably change the association pattern. Conclusions We conclude that the relationship between circulating levels of TGF-β-1 and prognosis in breast cancer is complex and non-linear. High levels of TGF-β-1 are associated with worse survival independent of stage of disease.

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Acknowledgments

Research was supported in part by grant P20RR011792 from the NIH and RCMI, and by RO1 CA64277 from the NCI. We thank Drs. Fan Jin and Qi Dai for valuable contribution in coordinating the filed operation and Regina Courtney and Qing Wang for excellent technical supports. We are grateful to the patients and research staff who participated in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery, Vanderbilt University, 2220 Pierce Ave, 597-PRB, Nashville, TN, 37232-6860, USA

    Ana M. Grau & Jinghuan Zi

  2. Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University, S-1121 MCN, 1161 21st Ave. S, Nashville, TN, 37232-2587, USA

    Wanqing Wen, Qiuyin Cai, Xiao-Ou Shu & Wei Zheng

  3. Department of Surgery, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA

    Denise S. Ramroopsingh

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China

    Yu-Tang Gao

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  1. Ana M. Grau
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  2. Wanqing Wen
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  3. Denise S. Ramroopsingh
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  4. Yu-Tang Gao
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  5. Jinghuan Zi
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  7. Xiao-Ou Shu
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  8. Wei Zheng
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Correspondence to Ana M. Grau.

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Grau, A.M., Wen, W., Ramroopsingh, D.S. et al. Circulating transforming growth factor-β-1 and breast cancer prognosis: results from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 112, 335–341 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-007-9845-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-007-9845-8

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