The change of serum and urinary transforming growth factor-beta-1 and their clinical significances in type 2 diabetics

Objective To observe the changes of serum and urinary transforming growth factor beta-1(TGF-β1) in type 2 diabetes and explore the clinical value of TGF-β1 in diabetic nephropathy. Methods Using enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay(ELISA), serum and urinary TGF-β1 levels were detected in 79 patients with type 2 diabetes and 20 controls. Results Serum and urinary TGF-β1 levels increased significantly in diabetic patients compared with the controls, and further rose as the nephropathy progressed. When compared with each other, there were significant differences in serum and urinary TGF-β1 levels between normol, micro-and macro-albuminuria diabetic groups( P 0.05). Serum and urinary TGF-β1 levels were positively correlated with urinary albumin excretion. Conclusion TGF-β1 may play an important role in pathogenesis and development of diabetic nephropathy. Serum and urinary TGF-β1 measurement may be one of the early markers in the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.