title: TGF beta and IL13 in Schistosomiasis mansoni associated pulmonary arterial hypertension; a descriptive study with comparative groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is suggested that interleukin (IL)-13 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta play a role in the pulmonary vascular changes found in animal models of schistosomiasis. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the serum levels of total TGF-beta and IL-13 of patients with schistosomiasis with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and patients with schistosomiasis without PAH.
  
  
  METHODS
  34 patients from the schistosomiasis outpatient clinic of the Hospital das Clinicas, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, without PAH assessed by echocardiography and 34 patients from the Reference Centre of Pulmonary Hypertension of Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil with PAH, confirmed by right heart catheterization, were enrolled on the study. Both groups presented with schistosomal periportal fibrosis after abdominal ultrasound. Serum levels of TGF-beta1 and IL-13 were determined by ELISA. Student t test to independent samples, Mann-Whitney test to nonparametric variables, Pearson correlation test for correlation analyses and Fisher Chi-squared test to compare categorical analyses were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median value of TGF-beta1 was significantly higher in patients with PAH (22496.9 pg/ml, interquartile range [IR] 15936.7 - 32087.8) than in patients without PAH (13629.9 pg/ml, IR: 10192.2- 22193.8) (p = 0.006). There was no difference in the median value of IL-13 in the group with Sch-PAH compared to patients without Sch-PAH (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that TGF-beta possibly plays a role in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis-associated PAH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. rita.pneumo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rita de Cassia dos Santos
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Silvia Maria Lucena
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Ana Lucia Coutinho
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Domingues
authors.forename: Angela Pontes
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.forename: Carlos Antonio da Mota
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Luiz Arthur Calheiros
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Clara de Almeida
authors.initials: Cde A
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Izolda Moura
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Alessandra Brainer
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.forename: Milena Oliveira
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000097:blood; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D018793:Interleukin-13; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1