Transforming Growth Factor-β Expression as Biomarker of Atheroma Development: A Mini Review

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the arterial wall that is modulated by the inflammatory balance. Transforming growth factor [TGF] type β1, β2, and β3 are cytokines with broad activities on cells and tissues in the cardiovascular system and have been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This cytokine is a major orchestrator of the fibroproliferative response to tissue damage. In fact, besides its effects on cell cycle regulation and survival/apoptosis in many cell types including endothelial and smooth muscle cells, TGF-β is an important antiinflammatory cytokine. Although we might be tempted to label TGF-β as either an “atheroprotective” or “atherogenic” factor, TGF-β is more likely to play a central role in both normal and pathological vascular repair.