Balance of transforming growth factor-beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor-BB is associated with kidney allograft rejection.
BACKGROUND
About 50% of kidney-transplant patients undergo organ rejection within 10 years. Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) represents the dominant cause of kidney transplant failure and accounts for 50-80% of graft loss in long-term surviving patients. CAN pathogenesis is multifactorial and not-completely elucidated; several reports indicate TGF-beta1 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB expression in CAN suggesting a possible role of these factors in the allograft arteriosclerosis and graft failure.


METHODS
We investigated the plasma expression concentrations of human growth factors with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and appropriate statistical analysis.


RESULTS
We present evidences showing statistically significant association of CAN with a specific balance between TGF Beat1 and PDGF-BB plasma concentrations, in 129 kidney-transplant patients and 15 healthy controls. Odds ratios were computed to correlate expression-levels with CAN occurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
We believe these data may suggest a novel non-invasive method to identify early molecular markers of graft deterioration.
Pozzetto
Ubaldo
U
Centro Shock, IASI-CNR, Largo Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. aldopozzetto@hotmail.com
Abeni
Damiano
D
Citterio
Franco
F
Castagneto
Marco
M
Capogrossi
Maurizio C
MC
Facchiano
Antonio
A
D000328:Adult; D000077214:Becaplermin; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000077214:Becaplermin