Association of TGF-beta 2 levels in breast milk with severity of breast biopsy diagnosis

摘要

TGF-beta plays a dual role in breast carcinogenesis, acting at early stages as tumor-suppressors and later as tumor-promoters. TGF-beta isoforms are expressed in breast tissues and secreted in milk, suggesting that analysis of levels in milk might be informative for breast cancer risk. Accordingly, we assessed TGF-beta 2 levels in milk from women who had undergone a breast biopsy and related the concentrations to diagnosis.