Serum TGF-β1 as a Biomarker for Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 22;11(2):e0149513. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149513. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Background: Abnormal expression of serum TGF-β1 was found in patients with diabetic nephropathy. However, the association of TGF-β1 with the risk of diabetic nephropathy remains unknown. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether such an association exists.

Methods: We searched the Chinese VIP, Wangfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases for relevant studies and extracted all eligible data. Stata12 software was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Nine reports met our criteria and were used for data extraction. There were 264 patients and 227 healthy controls from qualified reports in this meta-analysis. The results suggested that serum TGF-β1 levels were significantly up-regulated in patients with diabetic nephropathy; the instrumental variable was 3.94 (95% confidence interval 3.20-4.68, p<0.01).

Conclusions: Meta-analysis suggested that elevated serum TGF-β level in patients with diabetes is associated with a high risk of nephropathy. Further studies are required to validate these observations.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood*
  • Diabetic Nephropathies / blood*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / blood*
  • Up-Regulation*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • TGFB1 protein, human
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants awarded to X. Mou from National Natural Science Foundation (grant nos. 30801467 and 81273623), a grant awarded to D-Y. Zhou from the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province (grant no. 2013C33212), and a grant awarded to X. Mou from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant no. 2014M551775). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.