Pericardial Fluid of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Can Drive Fibrosis Via TGF-Beta Pathway.

Human pericardial fluid (PF) is a rich reservoir of biologically active markers. The acellular compartment of PF can drive cardiac fibroblast activity in vitro. This process is mediated through the transforming growth factor-β pathway. Of clinical importance, the PF of patients with coronary artery disease has an increased profibrotic capacity compared with the PF of patients without coronary artery disease.
Competing Interests: Dr Fatehi Hassanabad was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research–Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, a Killam Foundation Doctoral Award, an Alberta Innovates: Health Solutions Doctoral Scholarship, and a Kertland Family Doctoral Award. A Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant supports Drs Dundas and Fedak. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
(© 2024 The Authors.)