BACKGROUND Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) exerts broad anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects and plays a key role in self-tolerance. Complete knockout of TGF-β1 in mice results in autoimmunity and multi-organ inflammatory syndrome. The aim of the present study was to determine TGF-β1 serum levels in healthy individuals and in patients with typical systemic or organ-specific autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in an attempt to elucidate the importance of TGF-β1 in human autoimmunity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Serum concentrations of TGF-β1 were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a group of 53 patients with SLE (87% women) and 123 with HT (95% women). Results were compared with those from 66 healthy controls (HC; 80% women). RESULTS Significantly lower levels of serum TGF-β1 were found in patients with SLE and HT than those found in HC (mean ± SD: SLE: 8.7 ± 2.5 ng/mL; HT: 18.74 ± 8.2 ng/mL; HC: 33.01 ± 2.4.8 ng/mL; SLE versus HC: p<0.001; HT versus HC: p<0.001). Also, serum levels of TGF-β1 were significantly lower in patients with SLE compared to patients with HT (p<0.001). The serum levels TGF-β1 were significantly higher in men than in women in the HC group (63.4 ± 28.1 ng/mL versus 26.6 ± 17.5 ng/mL, P<0.001), but were similar for men and women in both patients groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that altered TGF-β1 levels are associated with the presence of autoimmune disorders, and that TGF-β1 concentrations seem to be more profoundly depressed in systemic autoimmune diseases than in autoimmune thyroid disorders. Autoimmunity may have been triggered as a result of a decreased immunosuppressive effect induced by depressed TGF-β1 levels in patients with SLE and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

中文翻译：

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系统性红斑狼疮和桥本甲状腺炎患者的血清转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）水平。

背景技术转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）具有广泛的抗炎和免疫抑制作用，并且在自我耐受中起关键作用。小鼠中TGF-β1的完全敲除会导致自身免疫和多器官炎性综合征。本研究的目的是确定健康个体以及典型的全身或器官特异性自身免疫性疾病（例如系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）和桥本甲状腺炎（HT））的患者的TGF-β1血清水平，以阐明其重要性。 TGF-β1在人类自身免疫中的作用。患者和方法采用酶联免疫吸附法测定了53例SLE患者（87％女性）和123 HT患者（95％女性）的血清TGF-β1浓度。将结果与66位健康对照者（HC； 80％的女性）的结果进行了比较。结果SLE和HT患者的血清TGF-β1水平明显低于HC（平均±SD：SLE：8.7±2.5 ng / mL; HT：18.74±8.2 ng / mL; HC：33.01±2.4 0.8 ng / mL； SLE对HC：p <0.001； HT对HC：p <0.001）。此外，SLE患者的血清TGF-β1水平显着低于HT患者（p <0.001）。HC组男性的血清TGF-β1水平明显高于女性（63.4±28.1 ng / mL对26.6±17.5 ng / mL，P <0.001），但两组患者的男性和女性相似（ p> 0.05）。结论我们的数据表明，TGF-β1水平的改变与自身免疫性疾病的存在有关，与自身免疫性甲状腺疾病相比，全身性自身免疫性疾病中TGF-β1的浓度似乎受到更深的抑制。