title: Increased plasma transforming growth factor-beta1 is associated with disease progression in HIV-1-infected patients.
abstract: Transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a variety of effects on a wide range of cells in the immune system. Evidence suggests that TGF-beta(1) is also involved in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infections. The aim of this study was to explore possible relationships between circulating TGF-beta(1) and immune as well as clinical HIV infection parameters with special impact on disease progression. TGF-beta(1) concentrations were measured by ELISA in the plasma of 66 patients in different stages of HIV infection and 20 healthy controls. HIV infection resulted in a significant increase of plasma TGF-beta(1) concentration compared to healthy individuals (11.4 +/- 6.8 vs. 6.1 +/- 1.5 ng/mL, p < 0.01). TGF-beta(1) values showed a significant negative correlation with CD4 cells count (r = -0.42, p = 0.001), as well as with CD8 cells count (r = -0.031, p < 0.05). Moreover, patients with the symptomatic phase of HIV infection presented an almost twofold increase of plasma TGF-beta(1) concentration in comparison to asymptomatic patients and healthy individuals. Our results demonstrate the relationship between TGF-beta(1) concentrations and HIV infection advancement with marked elevation in the late stages of the disease. These findings support in vitro observations suggesting an important, immunosuppressive role of TGF-beta(1) in HIV infection pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. alicja@priv.onet.pl
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiercińska-Drapalo
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flisiak
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaroszewicz
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prokopowicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1