Background: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in immune disorders, cancer, asthma, lung fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease, and its signal pathways are considered crucial mediators of a variety of cellular processes. In addition, several recent studies have reported that TGF-β receptor (TGF-βR) gene polymorphism is associated with chronic kidney disease. However, the association between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the TGF-β gene polymorphism has not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we hypothesized that polymorphisms of the TGF-β ligands or their receptors may be related to ESRD.
Methods: We assessed the relationship between four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TGF-βR2 and TGF-β2 genes and ESRD, in 312 patients with ESRD and 258 controls.
Results: Compared with the control participants, the frequencies of the TGF-βR2 (rs764522(⁎)C) and TGF-βR2 (rs3087465(⁎)G) alleles were significantly higher in the patients with ESRD. Genotyping analysis demonstrated that two SNPs in TGF-βR2 of the four SNPs included in the study were significantly associated with ESRD in the codominant 1 [rs764522, odds ratio (OR)=1.65; rs3087465, OR=1.63], dominant (rs764522, OR=1.63; rs3087465, OR=1.57), and log-additive (rs764522, OR=1.54; rs3087465, OR=1.39) models after adjusting for age and sex.
Conclusion: We suggest that TGF-βR2 polymorphisms (rs764522 and rs3087465) increase the risk of development of ESRD.
Keywords: End-stage renal disease; Fibrosis; Transforming growth factor-beta.