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Published on: August 3, 2018
Serum concentration and mRNA expression of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 (TGF-β1) in stunted and non- stunted
Lina Nurbaiti1, Nurpudji Astuti Taslim2, Agussalim Bukhari2
1Doctorate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Mataram University, Mataram, Indonesia.
Insights
Stunted toddlers in West Nusa Tenggara showed lower Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 (TGF-β1) gene mRNA expression and serum levels compared to non-stunted children. This suggests TGF-β1 may be a therapeutic target for stunting intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Molecular Biology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- West Nusa Tenggara Province faces a high prevalence of stunting, with limited research on its underlying causes.
- Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 (TGF-β1), an immunoregulatory cytokine, is a potential factor influencing stunting progression.
- Understanding TGF-β1 gene expression in stunted toddlers is crucial for developing targeted growth catch-up therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare TGF-β1 mRNA expression and serum concentrations between stunted and non-stunted toddlers.
- To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and stunting in the study population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 48 toddlers (12-36 months) in West Nusa Tenggara.
- Stunting defined by WHO Z-Score < -2 for length/height-for-age.
- Serum TGF-β1 levels measured by ELISA; TGF-β1 gene mRNA expression analyzed using RT-PCR.
- Nutritional status assessed via questionnaires and 48-hour food recalls.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower TGF-β1 gene mRNA expression in stunted toddlers (9.01 ± 1.76 fold change) compared to non-stunted (13.7 ± 0.859 fold change, p < 0.001).
- Significantly lower serum TGF-β1 concentrations in stunted toddlers (6.20 ± 3.60 pg/ml) versus non-stunted (14.3 ± 1.05 pg/ml, p < 0.001).
- No clear correlation found between nutritional status and stunting likelihood.
Conclusions:
- Stunted toddlers exhibit significantly reduced TGF-β1 gene mRNA expression and serum levels, potentially impacting bone metabolism.
- Findings support the development of interventions aimed at increasing serum TGF-β1 concentrations to address stunting.
Background And Aims:
West Nusa Tenggara Province has the fifth-highest prevalence of stunting cases in Indonesia. So far, limited research is available to understand the likelihood of stunting in this region. Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 (TGF-β1), an immunoregulatory cytokine, may affect the stunting progression. Knowledge of messenger mRNA expression in the TGF-β1 gene in stunted toddlers could help to determine therapeutic targets to catch up on their growth.
Objective:
This study compared the expression of TGF- β1 mRNA and TGF-β1 concentrations in the stunted and the non-stunted toddlers. The nutritional status of all participants was also gathered and linked to the stunting issue.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 48 toddlers aged 12-36 months. The stunting case was defined as a Z-Score of less than -2 of length/height for age according to WHO. The serum TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 gene mRNA were measured using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. The nutritional status data were collected through interviewer-administered structured questionnaire to the toddlers' parents and 48-h food recalls. Descriptive analyses were applied to determine the distribution of participants' macronutrient and micronutrient levels.
Results:
Results show that there were significant differences in expressions of the TGF- β1 gene mRNA of the stunted and the non-stunted toddlers. The expression of the TGF- β1 mRNA gene in the non-stunted toddlers was also higher with 13.7 ± 0.859 fold change than those of the stunted toddlers with 9.01 ± 1.76 fold change with a p-value <0.001. The serum TGF-β1 concentrations in the stunted toddler (6.20 ± 3.60 pg/ml) were significantly lower than the ones in the non-stunted toddlers (14.3 ± 1.05 pg/ml) with p-value <0.001. However, there was no clear relationship between the likelihood of stunting and the nutritional status from the obtained data.
Conclusion:
Overall findings demonstrate the significantly lower both the TGF-β1 gene mRNA expression and serum TGF-β1 for the stunted toddlers than the non-stunted toddlers, impacting bone formation and resorption. The outcomes of this study encourage the development of interventional therapy for stunted toddlers by increasing the serum TGF-β1 concentrations.
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