BACKGROUND Our previous proteomic study indicated that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) may be a potential biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis. The aim was to assess the performance of CTGF as a biomarker of RA. METHOD Serum and synovial fluid CTGF was detected using a direct high sensitivity sandwich ELISA kit. Serum CTGF levels were tested for discriminatory capacity and...

Adipocyte differentiation is a key process implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance. Its regulation is triggered by a cascade of transcription factors, including the CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma). Growth factors such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) are known to inhibit adipocyte d...

Bahammam M, Black SA, Jr, Sume SS, Assaggaf MA, Faibish M, Trackman PC. Requirement for active glycogen synthase kinase-3 in TGF1 upregulation of connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) levels in human gingival fibroblasts. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 305: C581–C590, 2013. First published July 3, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00032.2013.—Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) mediates transf...

Objective: Acteoside (ACT) has been reported to regulate the inflammation and immune response. The study aims explore effect of ACT on renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. Methods: Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham group, opened abdominal cavity sutured abdominal; UUO performed surgery; + (40 mg/kg) was given by gavage every day afte...

OBJECTIVE Promotion of endogenous β-cell mass expansion could facilitate regeneration in patients with diabetes. We discovered that the secreted protein CTGF (aka CCN2) promotes adult β-cell replication and mass regeneration after injury via increasing β-cell immaturity and shortening the replicative refractory period. However, the mechanism of CTGF-mediated β-cell proliferation is unknown. Her...

Incubation of microvascular endothelial cells with combretastatin A-4 phosphate (CA-4P), a microtubule-destabilizing compound that preferentially targets tumor vessels, altered cell morphology and induced scattering of Golgi stacks. Concomitantly, CA-4P up-regulated connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2), a pleiotropic factor with antiangiogenic properties. In contrast to the effects of ot...

The effect of -tocopherol treatment on gene expression in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells was analyzed by gene expression arrays. The expression of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene was induced by -tocopherol 1.8-fold in gene array experiments, and similar results were also obtained by RT-PCR (1.7-fold) and at the protein level (1.4-fold). The antioxidants -tocopherol an...

Expansion of extracellular matrix with fibrosis occurs in many tissues as part of the end-organ complications in diabetes, and advanced glycosylation end products (AGE) are implicated as one causative factor in diabetic tissue fibrosis. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-related protein-2 (IGFBP-rP2), is a potent inducer of extracell...

BACKGROUND Tumor cell invasion is the principal cause of treatment failure and death among patients with malignant gliomas. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been previously implicated in cancer metastasis and invasion in various tumors. We explored the mechanism of CTGF-mediated glioma cell infiltration and examined potential therapeutic targets. METHODS Highly infiltrative patient-...

BACKGROUND The role of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in pathological angiogenesis in the retina is unknown. RESULTS CTGF/CCN2 stimulates retinal neovascularization through transactivation of p53 target genes such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. CONCLUSION CTGF/CCN2 effects on abnormal vessel formation in the retina are mediated by p53 and MMP-2. SIGNIFICANCE CTGF/CCN2 a...