In previous studies looking at correlations between TP and various immune mediators in the human breast tumour microenvironment, TP expression was associated significantly with expressions of TNF-α (Leek et al, 1998), IL-1α (Eda et al, 1993), and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 (Saji et al, 2002). This evidence concerns the gene IL1A and breast neoplasm.