Haplotype Structures and Protein Levels of TGFB1 in HPV Infection and Cervical Lesion: A Case-Control Study

This study aimed to verify the role of TGFB1 variants (c.-1638G>A, c.-1347C>T, c.29C>T, and c.74G>C) in HPV infection susceptibility and cervical lesions development, and their impact on TGFB1 cervical and plasma levels. TGFB1 genotypes were assessed with PCR-RFLP and haplotypes were inferred for 190 HPV-uninfected and 161 HPV-infected women. TGFB1 levels were determined with immunofluorimetric assay. Case-control analyses were performed with logistic regression adjusted for possible confounders. Women carrying -1347TT or -1347CT+TT as well as those with 29CT, 29CC, or 29CT+CC were more likely to have HPV than -1347CC and 29TT carriers, respectively. Regarding haplotypes, the most frequent were *4 (GCTG) and *3 (GTCG). Women *4/*4 were less likely to have HPV than those with no *4 copy. Comparing the inheritance of *3 and *4, carriers of *3/*4 or *3/*3 were more susceptible to HPV than *4/*4. The TGFB1 plasma and cervical levels were higher in the infected patients. Plasma levels were also higher in infected women with low-grade lesions. HPV-infected patients carrying *3/Other and *3/Other+*3/*3 presented lower TGFB1 plasma levels than those with no copy of *3. TGFB1 variants could contribute to the comprehension of the TGFB1 role in HPV-caused cervical disease.

Clinical characteristics and the influence of rs1800470 in patients with Camurati-Engelmann disease

BACKGROUND

Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED) is a sclerosing bone dysplasia caused by transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) gene variants.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to summarize the clinical characteristics and the efficacy of glucocorticoids in 14 individuals with CED, and explore the correlation between the phenotype and the SNP of rs1800470 (c.29C>T).

METHODS

Clinical, biochemical, radiological, and therapeutic data were collected from 14 patients. DNA was extracted for TGFB1 variants detection by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

The median onset and record age were 3.0 and 16.1 years, respectively. All patients manifested bone pain and decreased subcutaneous fat tissue. Inflammatory markers increased in over 60% of patients, and the median erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 1.40 (0.50~3.67) of the upper limit of normal (ULN), and the median high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) was 1.71 (0.48~12.56) of ULN. There was a positive correlation between ESR and hsCRP (rs=0.806, p=0.003). Both ESR and hsCRP were negatively correlated with the levels of hemoglobin (HGB), calcium, and creatinine, but positively correlated with the level of alkaline phosphatase. Four known variants of TGFB1 were identified, including p.Tyr171Cys, p.Arg218Cys, p.Arg218His, and p.Cys225Arg. Moreover, 35.7% and 28.6% of them carried the heterozygous and homozygous SNP of c.29C>T, called C/T and T/T groups, respectively, but 35.7% of them were without c.29C>T (C/C group). The onset age, anthropometric data, percentages of different clinical manifestations, and biochemical parameters were comparable among the three groups. But there were increasing trends in levels of HGB and calcium and decreasing trends in ESR and hsCRP among C/C, C/T, and T/T groups in turn. Glucocorticoid improves the two inflammatory markers among CED patients.

CONCLUSION

The phenotype of CED is highly heterogeneous. There is no clear genotype-phenotype correlation, but it seems to have better trends of biochemical parameters in patients with CED carrying the T allele of rs1800470.

TGFB1 +869 T > C (rs1800470) variant is independently associated with susceptibility, laboratory activity, and TGF-β1 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the +869 T > C (rs1800470) and -509 C > T (rs1800469) TGFB1 variants, individually or in haplotypes structure, with susceptibility, autoantibodies, disease activity, and TGF-β1 plasma levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study included 203 patients with SLE and 165 healthy controls. TGFB1 variants were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Plasma levels of TGF-β1 were determined using immunofluorimetric assay. The TGFB1 + 869 CC genotype was associated with SLE susceptibility (OR: 1.710, 95%CI: 1.020-2.866, p = 0.042) and with reduction of C4 (p = 0.040) and TGF-β1 levels (p = 0.044). In addition, patients with TGFB1 + 869 TC and CC genotypes and positive anti-dsDNA had lower TGF-β1 levels than those with TT (p = 0.004). TGFB1 -509 TT genotype was associated with reduced levels of C4 (p = 0.032). There was no association between haplotypes and clinical and laboratory parameters. Our data demonstrated that the TGFB1 + 869 T > C variant could be used as a genetic marker for SLE susceptibility and both variants as predictors of laboratory activity. This is the first study to demonstrate that TGF-β1 levels could be modulated by the interaction between TGFB1 + 869 C allele, in homozygosity, or heterozygosity, and the presence of anti-dsDNA.

TGFB1 (rs1800470 and rs1800469) variants are independently associated with disease activity and autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis patients

To evaluate the association between TGFB1 + 869 T > C (rs1800470) and TGFB1-509 C > T (rs1800469) variants with susceptibility for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), disease activity, presence of rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and TGF-β1 plasma levels. A total of 262 patients with RA and 168 control individuals were tested for the TGFB1 variants using a TaqMan genotyping assay. Disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) classified RA patients into two groups of disease activity: remission/mild (DAS28 < 3.2) and moderate/severe (DAS28 ≥ 3.2). TGFB1 + 869 T > C and -509 C > T variants, independently or in haplotype combination, were not associated with RA's susceptibility. Patients with the TGFB1-509 TT genotype had a higher frequency of DAS28 ≥ 3.2 (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.04-6.42, p = 0.041). The TGFB1 + 869 CC genotype in seropositive patients for RF or anti-CCP was associated with decreased TGF-β1 levels (p = 0.032 and p = 0.039, respectively). Patients with the TGFB1 + 869 C allele and elevated RF titles demonstrated a higher frequency of DAS28 ≥ 3.2 (p = 0.037). The TGFB1 + 869 T > C variant was associated with diminished TGF-β1 plasma levels and moderate/severe activity disease only in seropositive RF patients. This is the first study showing that TGF-β1 plasma levels can be modulated by the interaction between the TGFB1 + 869 T > C variant and autoantibodies. However, the TGFB1-509 C > T variant was associated with moderate/severe activity disease, independently of autoantibodies positivity. Thus, our findings suggest that TGFB1 + 869 T > C and -509 C > T variants can predict activity disease in different RA patient subgroups.

Type 2 diabetes-associated polymorphisms correlate with SIRT1 and TGF-β1 gene expression

The polymorphisms rs3758391 and rs1800470 located in SIRT1 and TGF-β1 have been associated with type 2 diabetes in different populations but its functional effect is not clear. In this study, we evaluated their effect on the expression of SIRT1 and TGF-β1 in peripheral blood as well as their participation in the formation of DNA-protein complexes in a pancreas-derived cell line. It has been described that SIRT1 and TGF-β1 participate in cell growth and regulation of production and secretion of insulin in the pancreas. Anthropometric and biochemical profiles of 127 adults were measured. Genotypes for rs3758391 and rs1800470 were determined using TaqMan assays. Expression analysis of SIRT1 and TGF-β1 were performed using real-time PCR. Gene expression of these genes increased 1.8 ± 0.6- and 1.3 ± 0.6-fold in patients carrying the TT genotype of rs3758391 and rs1800470 when compared to carriers of the CC genotype. Then, we tested whether these single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (and rs932658, which is in linkage disequilibrium with rs3758391) are located in regulatory DNA-protein binding sites by electrophoretic mobility shift assays using nuclear extract from the pancreas-derived cell line BxPC-3. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed no binding of nuclear proteins to DNA. In conclusion, the genotypes of rs3758391 and rs1800470 are associated with modifications in the expression of the genes SIRT1 and TGF-β1, respectively, but none of the tested SNPs are located in regulatory DNA-protein binding sites.

The association between transforming growth factor beta1 polymorphism and susceptibility to pulmonary fibrosis: A meta-analysis (MOOSE compliant)

Although many studies have investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) gene with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), but their association is still controversial. To clarify this, we performed a meta-analysis.Studies related to TGF-β1 and PF were retrieved from PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Wanfang (up to November 30, 2017). We targeted TGF-β1 SNPs that have been reported by ≥3 studies to be included in the current meta-analysis, resulting in only 1 final SNP (rs1800470). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in the models of allele comparison (T vs C), homozygote comparison (TT vs CC), dominant (TT vs TC + CC), recessive (TT + TC vs CC) to evaluate the strength of the associations.A total of 7 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant association between TGF-β1 rs1800470 and PF was found (T vs C: OR [95% CI] = 0.96 [0.80, 1.15]; TT vs CC: 0.87 [0.61, 1.22]; TT vs TC + CC: 0.80 [0.62, 1.04]; TT + TC vs CC: 1.13 [0.83, 1.54]). In subgroup analyses by ethnicity or original disease, no statistically significant association between TGF-β1 rs1800470 polymorphisms and PF was demonstrated.This meta-analysis revealed that TGF-β1 rs1800470 polymorphism was not associated with susceptibility to PF development.

Polymorphisms in the TGFB1 signal peptide influence human papillomavirus infection and development of cervical lesions

The main purpose was to assess the effect of c.29C>T and c.74G>C polymorphisms in the TGFB1 signal peptide on HPV infection and development of cervical lesions. Cervical swabs and blood samples were obtained from 349 outpatient women, along with socio-demographic and sexual behavioral data. The study population was stratified by absence or presence of HPV DNA, as tested by PCR, as well as by lesion grade. TGFB1 signal peptide polymorphisms were genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. HPV DNA was detected in 172 (49.3%) patients. c.74GC and the combined c.29CC+CT/c.74GC genotype were more frequent in infected patients (35.1 and 15.7%) than in uninfected women (6.2 and 14.7%). Accordingly, these genotypes were associated with a higher risk of HPV infection, with odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of 2.81 and 1.35-5.86 (P = 0.004) for c.74GC and 3.14 and 1.42-6.94 (P = 0.004) for the combined genotype, respectively. High-grade lesions were also 2.48 times more likely to occur in c.29CC patients than in c.29TT patients, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.01-6.08 (P = 0.047). The data demonstrate that c.74G>C and c.29C>T polymorphisms are significantly associated with risk of HPV infection and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, respectively. Thus, TGFB1 signal peptide polymorphisms are potential susceptibility markers.