title: Elevated levels of transforming growth factor-beta(1) in serum of patients with stable bronchiectasis.
abstract: Bronchiectasis is a chronic inflammatory and infective airway disease characterized by irreversible dilatation of the bronchi and persistent purulent sputum. Transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) has been found to be increased in the lungs or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with inflammatory lung diseases. However, little is known on the serum TGF-beta(1) levels in patients with bronchiectasis. We aimed to determine the serum TGF-beta(1) concentrations in 95 patients with stable bronchiectasis (63 women; mean+/-sd age, 58.9+/-14.1 years) and 68 control subjects (23 women; 48.9+/-12.8 years) by ELISA, and to correlate with clinical parameters. The serum TGF-beta(1) levels were significantly higher in bronchiectatic patients compared with control subjects (median [range], 1812.5 pg/ml [1226.4-4114.5 pg/ml] vs. 1342.4 pg/ml [940.3-2371.7 pg/ml]; P<0.001). There was, however, no correlation between serum TGF-beta(1) levels with FEV(1) (% predicted), FVC (% predicted), 24h sputum volume, the number of bronchiectatic lung lobes or total white blood cell count (P>0.05). Our findings support previous indications that TGF-beta(1) may contribute to bronchiectatic airway inflammation. Further studies on the potential mechanisms and pathogenesis implications of this elevation should also be pursued in future.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Administration Block, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Judith C W
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Siu P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Raymond Y H
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Pak L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Tipoe
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Mary S M
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: Wah K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Kenneth W T
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1