TGF-β1: is it related to the stiffness of breast lesions and can it predict axillary lymph node metastasis?

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to explore whether transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is correlated with the stiffness of breast lesions and if it can predict axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis.Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in our hospital. A total of 135 breast lesions in 130 patients who were to undergo vacuum-assisted excisional biopsy (VAEB) or surgery were enrolled between April 2018 and October 2018. Ultrasound (US) and shear wave elastography (SWE) examinations were performed for every lesion before VAEB or surgery. Pathology results obtained by VAEB or surgery were regarded as gold criteria. The elastic parameters and TGF-β1 expression level of malignant breast lesions were compared with those of benign lesions; the relationship between TGF-β1 expression level in breast lesions and the elastic parameters was analyzed; the TGF-β1 expression level in breast lesions with or without ALN metastasis were compared; and the efficacy of TGF-β1 expression level in predicting ALN metastasis was analyzed. Results:The malignant breast lesions were different from benign lesions in the maximum and mean elasticity (Emax, Emean), standard deviation of elasticity (ESD), elastic ratio of the lesions to the peripheral tissue (Eratio), and the occurrence rate of "stiff rim sign" (P<0.001). The expression level of TGF-β1 in benign breast lesions was significantly lower than that in malignant lesions (P<0.001), and the TGF-β1 expression level was positively correlated with Emax, Emean, ESD, and Eratio (r=0.869, 0.840, 0.834, and 0.734, respectively). The expression level of TGF-β1 in breast lesions with or without "stiff rim sign" was significantly different (P<0.001), and the TGF-β1 expression level in malignant breast lesions with ALN metastasis was significantly higher than that in malignant lesions without ALN metastasis (P=0.0009). When TGF-β1 expression level >0.3138 was taken as the cut-off value, its efficacy in predicting ALN metastasis was 0.853, with a sensitivity of 86.67%, and a specificity 83.33%. Conclusions:The expression level of TGF-β1 was positively correlated with the elastic parameters of breast lesions, and it could be useful for predicting ALN metastasis, especially for negative ALN diagnosis clinically.

Collagen fiber features and COL1A1: are they associated with elastic parameters in breast lesions, and can COL1A1 predict axillary lymph node metastasis?

“…Fig 5. The expression level of COL1A1 was positively correlated with Emax(A), Emean(B), Eratio(C), (r = 0.406, 0.362, 0.425, respectively.…”

“…The advent of shear wave elastography (SWE) offers the possibility of achieving quantitative judgment of tissue stiffness and can facilitate appropriate degradation of masses with low suspicion of breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) category 4A at soft borders [2]. Recently, several studies have reported that SWE showed good performance in assessing benign and malignant lesions [3][4][5]. The stromal reaction that occurs because of invasive behavior results in abnormal tumor-associated collagen deposition, potentially leading to increased elastic modulus values in breast cancer [6].…”