Transforming growth factor. beta. sub 1 is present at sites of extracellular matrix gene expression in human pulmonary fibrosis

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.88.15.6642· OSTI ID:5604305

Broekelmann, T J; Limper, A H; McDonald, J A ^[1]; Colby, T V ^[2]

---

1. Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)
2. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an inexorably fatal disorder characterized by connective tissue deposition within the terminal air spaces resulting in loss of lung function and eventual respiratory failure. Previously, the authors demonstrated that foci of activated fibroblasts expressing high levels of fibronectin, procollagen, and smooth muscle actin and thus resembling those found in healing wounds are responsible for the connective tissue deposition and scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, they now demonstrate the presence of transforming growth factor {beta}{sub 1} (TGF-{beta}{sub 1}), a potent profibrotic cytokine, in the foci containing these activated fibroblasts. These results suggest that matrix-associated TGF-{beta}{sub 1} may serve as a stimulus for the persistent expression of connective tissue genes. One potential source of the TGF-{beta}{sub 1} is the alveolar macrophage, and they demonstrate the expression of abundant TGF-{beta}{sub 1} mRNA in alveolar macrophages in lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

• OSTI ID: 5604305
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States), Vol. 88:15; ISSN 0027-8424
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
COLLAGEN
GENE REGULATION
FIBROBLASTS
CYTOCHEMISTRY
GROWTH FACTORS
BIOCHEMISTRY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
FIBROSIS
LUNGS
MAN
MESSENGER-RNA
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CHEMISTRY
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
HYBRIDIZATION
MAMMALS
MITOGENS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RNA
SCLEROPROTEINS
SOMATIC CELLS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550200* - Biochemistry