Objective and design: Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta1) is involved in a variety of physiological processes as well as in many diseases. Both in vitro and in vivo evidence suggest that TGF-beta1 may influence atherogenesis and a dominant protective role of TGF-beta1 on coronary arteries has been proposed. On the other hand, increased levels of soluble adhesion molecules have been found in patients with atherosclerosis, and adhesion of monocytes to the endothelium followed by migration to the intima, has been proved to be an early event in atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present investigation was to look at a possible relationship between circulating active TGF-beta1 and adhesion molecules in postmenopausal women with angiographically verified coronary heart disease (CHD) (n=118).
Results: Serum levels of the active form of TGF-beta1 showed a tendency to be lower in patients with increasing number of vessels with more than 50% stenosis (P=0.058), and there was higher TGF-beta1 in the group with one vessel disease compared with those with two or more vessels affected (P=0.041). Additionally, negative association between TGF-beta1 and VCAM-1 was found (r=-0.26, P=0.023). However, no associations were observed between TGF-beta1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) or E-selectin in the present study.
Conclusion: We observed an inverse correlation between the active form of TGF-beta1 and VCAM-1 in postmenopausal women with verified CHD. These results may suggest a role of TGF-beta1 in CHD.