increased expression of transforming growth factor-β and receptors in primary human airway fibroblasts from chemical inhalation patients.

the widespread use of sulfur mustard  (sm) as a chemical warfare agent in the  past century has proved its long-lasting toxic effects. despite a lot of research over the past decades on iranian veterans, there are still major gaps in the sm literature. transforming growth  factor  (tgf-β),  a  cytokine  that  affects  many  different  cell processes,  has  an important role in the lungs of patients with some of chronic airway diseases, especially with respect to airway remodeling in mustard lung. primary airway fibroblasts from epibronchial biopsies were cultured, and gene expression of tgf-β1, tgf-β2, tbr-i and tbr-ii in fibroblasts of sm injured patients and controls were investigated. expression of tgf-βs and receptors was measured by rt-pcr. protein level of tgf-β1was surveyed by western blot. our  findings revealed that expression levels of tgf-β1,  tgf-β2,  tbr-i and tbr-ii were upregulated in the  airway fibroblasts of  sm exposed patients  in comparison  with control samples. tgf-β1 expression was shown to be markedly increased in primary lung fibroblasts of chemically injured patients. our  novel data, suggested that  over-expression of tgf-β  molecule and receptors  in primary airway fibroblasts of mustard gas injured patients may be involved in progression of airway remodeling of these patients.