title: Expression and clinical significance of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in Graves' ophthalmopathy.
abstract: To examine the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in human cultured orbital fibroblasts from patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and investigate whether a correlation exists between the presence of CTGF protein and clinical parameters of the disease.
  
  
  
  The protein expression levels of CTGF were analysed by western blots in cultured orbital fibroblasts from 10 patients with GO and 7 age-matched normal controls. Associations between the protein expression of CTGF and the clinical factors of GO, including clinical demographics, thyroid function, clinical activity score (CAS) and ophthalmopathy index (OI), was evaluated.
  
  
  
  The mean protein expression levels of CTGF in the GO orbital fibroblasts were significantly higher than those of normal controls (p<0.001). Based on further analysis, the protein expression levels of CTGF in the GO orbital fibroblasts had significant correlation with gender (p=0.029), serum levels of thyrotropin receptor antibodies (p=0.029), CAS (p=0.048) and OI (p=0.043). Especially, there was a significant correlation between protein expression levels of CTGF and lid oedema (p=0.037), proptosis (p=0.045) and corneal involvement (p=0.001).
  
  
  
  Our findings revealed that the protein expression levels of CTGF in the GO orbital fibroblasts were significantly highly expressed than those of normal controls, and the elevated CTGF was associated with clinical characteristics and evolution, indicating CTGF may play a role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of GO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shi-Bei
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Ophthalmology, Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hui-Chuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kau
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Catherine Jui-Ling
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Medicine and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yau-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005094:Exophthalmos / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor
keywords: Biochemistry; Experimental &#8211 laboratory; Inflammation; Orbit