Análise da expressão gênica das isoformas do Fator de Crescimento Transformador Beta (TGF-β) em neoplasia intraepitelial cervical graus I, II, III e câncer invasivo

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) can develop into invasive cancer after the immune mechanism fails and the tumor develops from this system through an escape mechanism. One of the most important ways to bypass the immune response is the production of mediators such as the cytokine Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β), which can act on numerous cells. Its function involves cell differentiation and apoptosis control, however, TGF- β can act by inhibiting the effector cells of adaptive immunity. However, the three isoforms of TGF-β have different roles in the immune response. Understanding their involvement within the tumor is essential for the development of new immunotherapies and new biological markers of lesion progression. Objective: Quantify and associate the expression of TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 isoforms in different degrees of CIN lesions and cervical cancer Materials and methods: Using the qPCR technique to analyze the TGF-β isoforms, 56 patients separated into the Control (n = 09), CIN I (n = 08), CIN II (n = 11), CIN III (n = 13) and Cervical Cancer (n = 15) groups were assessed. Results: The expression in the CIN I, CIN II, CIN III, and Cervical Cancer groups was lower for the TGF-β1 isoform, when compared to the Control group (p=0.0002). The isoforms TGF-β2 (p=0.3496) and TGF-β3 (p=0.2810) did not present significant expressions in the statistical tests, in all groups. Conclusion: TGF-β1 may be related to disease progression and can be used as a biological marker in the future to monitor treatment conditions and targets for future immunotherapy.