Enhanced production of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) during autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction of systemic sclerosis patients

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by systemic fibrosis and microvascular lesions. As TGF-β is suggested to be related to skin fibrosis, we examined the production of TGF-β from peripheral mononuclear cells (MNC) of SSc patients. Since anti-TGF-β neutralizing antibody improved the defective proliferative response in autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) of SSc patients, TGF-β was thought to participate in the decreased AMLR of SSc patients. Greater amounts of TGF-β in the active as well as in the latent forms were produced during AMLR of SSc patients than that of normal subjects. It was suggested that TGF-β excessively produced from the MNC of SSc patients might play a major role in the fibrosis of the patients during AMLR-like in vivo responses.