Table 1.

Relationship between clinicopathological features and serum levels of TIMP-1 in breast cancer patients

			TIMP-1 level (ng/ml)			p value
		N	Mean	SD	Rang
All study subjects		81	211.2317	82.4088	40.1078–414.3112
Diagnostic category						<0.001
	Benign	22	159.8383	58.3779	40.1078–239.5306
	Malignant	59	230.3953	82.2059	73.2381–414.3112
Age						0.985
	<50	22	230.1297	79.5451	78.9473–378.5845
	≧50	37	230.5533	84.8323	73.2381–414.3113
T status						0.386
	≦2	24	215.8122	86.4862	73.2381–414.3113
	>2	23	238.4916	90.9452	86.1807–404.1802
Lymph node						0.798
	0	30	221.8737	89.6307	73.2381–414.3113
	≧1	19	228.2739	76.2754	86.1807–324.1554
ER						0.002
	Negative	24	268.9795	82.9122	73.2381–324.1554
	Positive	35	203.9396	71.4596	86.1807–414.3113
PR						0.030
	Negative	34	250.1643	83.3048	73.2381–324.1554
	Positive	25	203.5096	74.0452	75.7956–414.3113
HER2+						0.120
	Negative	38	242.7811	70.3116	86.1807–404.1802
	Positive	21	207.971	98.1427	73.2381–414.3113
Ki-67(%)						0.597
	<15 %	20	238.4001	62.2747	142.3562–378.5845
	≧15 %	39	226.2903	91.2385	73.2381–414.3113
Molecular subtype
	Luminal-A	25	230.8728	58.3779	134.5391–324.1554	<0.001
	Luminal-B	10	136.6069	61.2456	73.2381–250.8275	0.327
	HER2+	11	272.8475	78.5198	126.9324–414.3113	<0.001
	TNBC	13	280.6168	74.7404	143.2887–404.1802	<0.001

Serum was collected from 81 patients before surgery, including 22 benign and 59 malignant. Serum TIMP-1 level was detected by ELISA. Before detection, the serum samples were diluted 1:50 with 1 % BSA. ELISA was done according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Student’s T test was used to assess whether the mean of different group has statistically difference