title: Transforming growth factor beta-1 and incidence of heart failure in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-B1) is a highly pleiotropic cytokine whose functions include a central role in the induction of fibrosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hypothesis that elevated plasma levels of TGF-B1 are positively associated with incident heart failure (HF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The hypotheses were tested using a two-phase case-control study design, ancillary to the Cardiovascular Health Study - a longitudinal, population-based cohort study. Cases were defined as having an incident HF event after their 1992-1993 exam and controls were free of HF at follow-up. TGF-B1 was measured using plasma collected in 1992-1993 and data from 89 cases and 128 controls were used for analysis. The association between TGF-B1 and risk of HF was evaluated using the weighted likelihood method, and odds ratios (OR) for risk of HF were calculated for TGF-B1 as a continuous linear variable and across quartiles of TGF-B1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OR for HF was 1.88 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.26-2.81) for each nanogram increase in TGF-B1, and the OR for the highest quartile (compared to the lowest) of TGF-B1 was 5.79 (95% CI 1.65-20.34), after adjustment for age, sex, C-reactive protein, platelet count and digoxin use. Further adjustment with other covariates did not change the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher levels of plasma TGF-B1 were associated with an increased risk of incident heart failure among older adults. However, further study is needed in larger samples to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. nlglazer@bu.edu
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Macy
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lumley
authors.forename: Nicholas L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Alex P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Psaty
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Russell P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Siscovick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006262:Health; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1