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Expression of transforming growth factor beta1 in patients with and without previous abdominal surgery
Kristina G Hobson1, Michelle DeWing, Hung S Ho
1Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis Medical Center, USA.
Hypothesis:
Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) plays an important role in the formation of adhesions after abdominal operations.
Design:
Prospective, observational study.
Setting:
University-based, tertiary referral center.
Patients:
Patients undergoing elective open abdominal operations were recruited and divided into 2 groups. Twenty-two patients with a history of abdominal surgery were designated as study patients, and 10 patients with no history of abdominal surgery served as controls.
Interventions:
Samples of normal peritoneum, peritoneal scar tissues, and serum were obtained from all patients at the time of surgery.
Main Outcome Measures:
Samples were assayed for total TGF-beta1 expression using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
Scar tissues expressed significantly greater amounts of TGF-beta1 (0.47 pg/ micro L) compared with normal peritoneal tissue from both study patients (0.29 pg/ micro L; P =.03) and controls (0.17 pg/ micro L; P =.002). Serum TGF-beta1 levels were also higher in study patients (1.71 pg/ micro L) compared with controls (1.22 pg/ micro L; P =.02). Neither adhesion nor serum TGF-beta1 expression correlated with time since last operation, total number of previous operations, or severity of intra-abdominal adhesions.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that TGF-beta1 may play an important role in human peritoneal adhesion formation.
