AIM: To quantitatively investigate transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β ) and its receptors in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues and pterygiumtissues. · METHODS: Thirty cases of pterygium patients were randomly selected to undergo surgical resection of pterygium lesion, and the normal margin of bulbar conjunctival tissues were collected as control. Gene expression was detected quantitatively by the method of quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) analysis. ·RESULTS: The expression level of TGF-β 1 and TGF-β 2 was 4.26×10^-7±1.45×10-7 and 1.08×10^-10±0.68×10^-10 in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues, while 10.67 ×10^-7 ±7.47 ×10-7 and 8.23 ×10^-11 ±6.63 ×10^-11 in pterygium tissues. The expression level of TGF-β RI and TGF-β RII was 0.003015±0.0036 and 5.33 ×10^-5 ±5.05 ×10^-5 in normal bulbar conjunctival tissues, while 0.000379 ±0.000281 and 1.002 ×10^-5 ±9.04 ×10^-6 in pterygium tissues. The expression level of TGF-β 1 and TGF-β 2 in pterygium was elevated ( P<0.01). TGF-β 1 expression level in pterygium increase 2.9±2.8 times than in normal conjunctiva. TGF-β 2 expression level in pterygium increase 7.5 ±1.4 times than in normal conjunctiva. The expression level of TGF-β RI in pterygium was significantly lower ( P<0.05). The expression level of TGF-β RII in pterygiumwas significantly lower (P<0.01). ·CONCLUSION: QRT-PCR is an effective method to quantitatively detect gene expression in eye. The upregulation of TGF-β 1 and TGF-β 2 and down-regulation of their receptors expression may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pterygium, which is noteworthy further investigation in diagnosis and treatment of pterygium."