ABSTRACT
Hypothesis: This study was carried out to estimate the level of TGF-beta-1 in both the serum and synovial fluids of patients with AS and to asses the potential usefulness of its measurement as a marker of the clinical features, disease activity, and radiographic grading of sacroiliitis
Methodology: Enzyme linked immunoassay was used to quantify TGF-beta-1 in 20 AS patients and 20 healthy individuals. All patients were subjected to clinical examination. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI] was used to measure the disease activity. Analysis of the type and frequency of abnormalities of the sacroiliac joints in our AS patients was performed by computed tomography [CT]
Results: The level of serum TGF-beta-1 was significantly elevated [p<0.001] in AS patients than in controls. TGF-beta-1 concentrations in the synovial fluid were 5 fold higher than in the corresponding serum samples indicating intra-articular production. Also, there were significant correlations between both serum and synovial TGF-beta-1 and BASDAI and radiographic grading of sacroiliitis
Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that TGF-beta-1 has a role in the pathogenesis of AS. Measurement of TGF-beta-1 either in the serum or in the synovialfluid, was found to be a useful marker that reflected both disease activity and radiographic grading of sacroiliitis. Longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the role of TGF-beta-1 in protection against ankylosis of the spine. It might also have a role in the future of therapy in patients with spinal involvement in AS