1. TGF beta and IL13 in schistosomiasis mansoni associated pulmonary arterial hypertension; a descriptive study with comparative groups.
- Author
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de Cassia dos Santos Ferreira, Rita, Lucena Montenegro, Silvia Maria, Coutinho Domingues, Ana Lucia, Pontes Bandeira, Angela, da Mota Silveira, Carlos Antonio, Calheiros Leite, Luiz Arthur, de Almeida Pereira, Clara, Fernandes, Izolda Moura, Brainer Mertens, Alessandra, and Almeida, Milena Oliveira
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INTERLEUKIN-13 , *TRANSFORMING growth factors-beta , *SCHISTOSOMIASIS , *ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY , *FIBROSIS , *HYPERTENSION , *PATIENTS - 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 and Pearson correlation test for correlation analyses and Fisher Chi-squared test to compare categoriacal anlyses 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). Conclusion Our results suggest that TGF-beta possibly plays a role in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis-associated PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
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