title: Transforming growth factor beta activity in urine of patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is characterized structurally by progressive mesangial deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Transforming growth factor-ss (TGF-ss) is considered to be one of the major cytokines involved in the regulation of ECM synthesis and degradation. Several studies suggest that an increase in urinary TGF-ss levels may reflect an enhanced production of this polypeptide by the kidney cells. We evaluated TGF-ss in occasional urine samples from 14 normal individuals and 23 patients with type 2 diabetes (13 with persistent proteinuria >500 mg/24 h, DN, 6 with microalbuminuria, DMMA, and 4 with normal urinary albumin excretion, DMN) by enzyme immunoassay. An increase in the rate of urinary TGF-ss excretion (pg/mg U Creat.) was observed in patients with DN (296.07 +/- 330.77) (P<0.001) compared to normal individuals (17.04 +/- 18.56) (Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric analysis of variance); however, this increase was not observed in patients with DMMA (25.13 +/- 11.30) or in DMN (18.16 +/- 11.82). There was a positive correlation between the rate of urinary TGF-ss excretion and proteinuria (r = 0.70, alpha = 0.05) (Pearson's analysis), one of the parameters of disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Clínica Médica, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Rivarola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moyses-Neto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Da-Silva
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Volpini
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Coimbra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000652:urine*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000652:urine*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta