The Role of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 in Pathogenesis of Graves′ Ophthalmopathy

Objective To investigate the role of basic fibroblast growth factor-2(bFGF-2)in the pathogenesis of Graves′ophthalmopathy (GO).Methods Twenty GO patients(research group) and 20 with simple hyperthyroidism without eye symptoms(control group) were enrolled to determine serum bFGF-2 and hyaluronic acid(HA) levels.The results were compared to find out the factors related to bFGF-2.Results The mean HA level was significantly higher in research group(551±316 ng/ml) than in control(351±249 ng/ml) (P0.05);the bFGF-2 level increased significantly in research group(98±28 pg/ml) as compared with control (77±20 pg/ml) (P0.05).Spearman regression analysis showed that HA level and clinical activity score(CAS) were significantly correlated with bFGF-2 level(P0.05).Conclusion The bFGF-2 level in peripheral blood increases significantly,suggesting that bFGF-2,an indicator determining GO activity,may play an important role in GO pathogenesis.