Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is an immunosuppressor. It plays a role in regulating cell proliferation, and deletion of its gene in transgenic mice leads to an autoimmune-like disorder. A role of this cytokine has been proposed in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and probably type 2 diabetes. Previous studies had shown an elevated serum level in type 2 diabetes and a reduced serum level in type 1 diabetes; however, these studies did not address the onset of the alterations of TGF-β with regard to the duration of diabetes. In this study, we compared the levels of TGF-β in the serum of groups of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus divided according to the duration of their disease. Twenty-six normoalbuminuric patients with type 1 diabetes and 25 normoalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into three groups according to the onset of their diabetes and were compared with 27 and 15 age-matched normal subjects, respectively. We conclude that in normoalbuminuric patients serum TGF-β levels increased at the onset of type 2 diabetes and remained elevated throughout the disease; they did not change at the onset of type 1 diabetes, however, they started to decrease around 2 yr after the onset of the disease.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4680-4682 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 1 2000 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Biochemistry
- Endocrinology
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Biochemistry, medical