title: Elevated circulating transforming growth factor beta-1 may explain poorer renal survival in type II diabetics with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Hepatitis C is reported to be associated with poorer renal survival in patients with diabetes. The mechanism for this observation has not been elucidated. Transforming growth factor beta-1 is involved in signaling for human disease involving fibrosis and excess matrix deposition including diabetic nephropathy. Hepatitis C virus core protein is known to upregulate transcription of TGF beta-1 in the liver and HCV patients have elevated levels of circulating TGF beta-1 versus controls. There is evidence that elevated circulating TGF beta-1 levels result in more rapid progression of nephropathy and that lowering circulating TGF beta-1 levels with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor correlates with treatment efficacy in diabetic nephropathy. This paper outlines a hypothesis that the elevated level of circulating TGF beta-1 which is associated with HCV is a mediator of more rapid progression of diabetic renal disease in persons with HCV.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Utah SOM, Salt Lake City, UT 84648, USA. mike.peterson@utahtelehealth.net
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1