BACKGROUND Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFβ1) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in inflammation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between human TGFβ1 gene +869T>C (rs1800470), -509C>T (rs1800469) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes and cerebral infarction (CI) in a Chinese population. METHODS The ...

OBJECTIVE The focus of this study aimed at measuring multiple inflammatory cytokines levels in the aqueous humor of patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) and senile cataract. METHODS This case control study was conducted at the Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt in 2016. Aqueous humor (AH) samples were withdrawn from 50 patients (30 ...

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis remains poorly understood. The Wnt signaling pathway regulates fibrogenesis in different organs. Here, we studied the role of two extracellular Wnt antagonists, secreted frizzled-related protein-1 (SFRP1) and frizzled-related protein (FRZB) on lung fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. For this purpose, we used an alveolar epithelial cell line and a lu...

PURPOSE This study investigated the effects of loss of tenascin C (TNC) in the development of neovascularization in a corneal stroma in mice. Cell culture study was also conducted to clarify the roles of TNC in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 in fibroblasts and macrophages. METHODS Ocular fibroblasts and macrophages from wild-...

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) play critical roles in a number of diseases; however, the molecular mechanism underlying their development is unclear. Although the role of TGFβ1 signaling in SMC development is well established, the downstream molecular signals are not fully understood. We used several rat multipotent adult progenitor cell ((r)MAPC) lines that express levels of Oct4 mRNA similar to h...

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a desmoplastic disease, is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world due, in large part, to locally invasive primary tumor growth and ensuing metastasis. SPARC is a matricellular protein that governs extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and maturation during tissue remodeling, particularly, during wound healing and tumorigenesis. In the pr...

The EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) is involved in fibrosis and cancer, and is regulated by different signalling pathways mediated through soluble factors, actin reorganization and transcription factor actions. Because the tetraspan (also called tetraspanin) TM4SF5 (transmembrane 4 L6 family member 5) is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and induces EMT, understanding how TM4...

To determine the contribution by tenascin X (Tnx) gene expression to corneal stromal angiogenesis, the effects were determined of its loss on this response in TNX knockout (KO) mice. In parallel, the effects of such a loss were evaluated on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) gene and protein expression in fibroblasts and macrophages in cell cultu...

Vocal fold epithelial cells likely play an important, yet currently poorly defined, role in healing following injury, irritation and inflammation. In the present study, we sought to identify a possible role for growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ1), in epithelial regeneration during wound healing as a necessary first step for uncovering pote...

BACKGROUND Osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) is a 14-mer peptide found in relevant concentration in blood, and its carboxy-terminal fragment [OGP(10-14)] represents the active portion of the full-length peptide. In addition to stimulating bone formation, OGP(10-14) shows hematological activity. In fact, it highly enhances hematopoiesis-affecting stem progenitors. Moreover, OGP(10-14) reduces the ...