Peripheral blood monocytes from hypertensive patients showed significantly increased TGF-beta activity compared to normotensive controls (-83% vs -18% inhibition of thymidine incorporation; P<.001).
Case-Control
Is TGF-beta production and gene expression increased in peripheral blood monocytes of hypertensive patients with cardiovascular structural changes compared to healthy normotensive controls?
Upregulation of the TGF-beta system in peripheral blood monocytes of hypertensive patients suggests a potential role in hypertensive cardiovascular structural changes.
Absolute Event Rate: -83% vs -18%
p-value: p=<.001
Cultured human peripheral blood monocytes are known to secrete and express transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a multifunctional cytokine that can be involved in myocardial and vascular remodeling. In addition, monocytes/macrophages have been demonstrated to be colocalized with fibrosis of hypertrophied heart and in the vascular wall of hypertensive vessels. In this study, we tested TGF-beta production and mRNA expression in peripheral blood monocytes from hypertensive patients with myocardial hypertrophy and increased carotid myointimal thickness with respect to healthy normotensive control subjects. We found an increased TGF-beta activity in the conditioned medium of monocytes from hypertensive patients compared with control subjects as evaluated by inhibition of 3Hthymidine incorporation by mink lung epithelial cells (-83% and -18% in hypertensive and normotensive subjects; P<.001). Western blot analysis confirmed a significant difference in the amount of TGF-beta protein secreted in the conditioned medium of hypertensive patients compared with that of normotensive subjects. Finally, we also observed a 4.2- and 5.5-fold increase in the amount of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 transcripts, respectively. Our results indicate an upregulation of the TGF-beta system in the peripheral blood monocytes of hypertensive patients with cardiovascular structural changes, suggesting a possible role of TGF-beta monocyte production in hypertensive disease.
Porreca et al. (1997) conducted a case-control in Hypertension. Hypertension vs. Healthy normotensive controls was evaluated on TGF-beta activity evaluated by inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation (p=<.001). Peripheral blood monocytes from hypertensive patients showed significantly increased TGF-beta activity compared to normotensive controls (-83% vs -18% inhibition of thymidine incorporation; P<.001).