Observational studyJournal of translational medicine2020
Plasma levels and tissue expression of soluble TGFβrIII receptor in women with early-stage breast cancer and in healthy women: a prospective observational study.
Observational study in Journal of translational medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Proteoglycans in Breast Cancer: Friends and Foes.Biomolecules · 2025Review
- Glycosaminoglycan modifications of betaglycan regulate ectodomain shedding to fine-tune TGF-β signaling responses in ovarian cancer.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2024Article
- Activin A Modulates Betaglycan Shedding via the ALK4-SMAD3-Dependent Pathway in Endometriotic Cells.Biomolecules · 2022Article
- Role of Betaglycan in TGF-β Signaling and Wound Healing in Human Endometriotic Epithelial Cells and in Endometriosis.Biology · 2022Article
- Canonical TGFβ Signaling and Its Contribution to Endometrial Cancer Development and Progression-Underestimated Target of Anticancer Strategies.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Review
- Plasma levels of soluble TGF ß receptor type III: no apparent promise as a marker in acute pancreatitis.Croatian medical journal · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMammary carcinogenesis is partly regulated by the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway. Its function in cancer progression and metastasis is highly dependent on disease stage, and it is likely modulated by the ratio of membrane-bound vs. soluble TGFβrIII (sTGFβrIII). In this prospective observational study, we assessed tissue expression and plasma levels of sTGFβrIII in healthy women, women with benign breast lesions and in early-stage breast cancer patients.
methodsIn a preliminary study, plasma sTGFβrIII levels were determined in 13 healthy women (age 19-40 years) at different phases of the ovarian cycle, and in 15 patients (age 35-75 years) at different times of the day. The main study assessed plasma concentrations of sTGFβrIII in: (i) 158 healthy women in whom breast lesions were excluded; (ii) 65 women with benign breast lesions; (iii) 147 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer classified as American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages 0 to IIB. Completers provided blood samples before surgery and at 10-30 and 160-180 days after surgery. Plasma sTGFβrIII concentrations were determined using an indirect ELISA kit. Part of the removed tissues underwent immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and analysis of tissue TGFβrIII expression.
resultsThere appeared no relevant variations in plasma sTGFßrIII levels at different times of the day or different ovarian cycle phases. Before surgery, breast cancer patients had somewhat higher sTGFβrIII than healthy women, or those with benign breast lesions (by 14.5 and 26 ng/mL, respectively), with a tendency of larger differences at higher age. This correlated with lower expression of TGFβrIII in breast cancer vs. healthy tissue samples. At 160-180 days after surgery, plasma sTGFβrIII levels in breast cancer patients declined by 23-26 ng/mL.
conclusionsPlasma sTGFβrIII levels do not seem to relevantly vary during the day or the ovarian cycle. The coinciding higher plasma levels in newly diagnosed cancer patients than in healthy subjects and lower TGFβrIII expression in the malignant than in healthy breast tissue suggest ectodomain shedding as a source of circulating sTGFβrIII. Decline in plasma levels after tumor removal supports such a view.
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