[Immunohistochemical study of transforming growth factor-beta and central fibrosis in T1 adenocarcinoma of the lung].

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is known as the growth factor that stimulates the multiplication and accumulation of extracellular matrix. Recently, TGF-beta also has been found to have the ability to control the growth and metastatic potential of cancer cells. It is known that central fibrosis frequently occurs in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and the prognosis becomes poorer as fibrosis become more hyalinized. To estimate the role of TGF-beta in the formation of central fibrosis in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and its influence on the prognosis of patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, we performed an immunohistochemical study of TGF-beta in 51 cases of T1 pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Positive stain for TGF-beta was shown in 31 cases, and negative stain was shown in 20 cases. In patients with Stage I, T1 pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the post operative survival curve was compared between positive and negative cases of TGF-beta, and the result showed a tendency toward poorer prognosis in positive cases of TGF-beta. Twenty-four of 51 cases of T1 pulmonary adenocarcinoma had central fibrosis. Twenty of 24 cases with central fibrosis showed positive stain for TGF-beta. It was proven that the appearance of central fibrosis was significantly related to positive stain for TGF-beta in T1 pulmonary adenocarcinoma. According to these results, it is suggested that TGF-beta plays some role in the formation of central fibrosis in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and TGF-beta is possibly a prognostic factor for patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma.