A TGF beta-Responsive Gene Signature Is Associated with a Subset of Diffuse Scleroderma with Increased Disease Severity

作者：Sargent Jennifer L; Milano Ausra; Bhattacharyya Swati; Varga John; Connolly M Kari; Chang Howard Y; Whitfield Michael L^*

来源：Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2010, 130(3): 694-705.

DOI：10.1038/jid.2009.318

Systemic sclerosis is a complex disease with widespread skin fibrosis and variable visceral organ involvement. Since transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) has been implicated in driving fibrosis in systemic sclerosis, a mechanism-derived gene expression signature was used to assay TGF beta-responsive gene expression in the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Primary dermal fibroblasts from patients with diffuse SSc (dSSc) and healthy controls were treated with TGF beta, and the genome-wide gene expression was measured on DNA microarrays over a time course of 24 hours. Eight hundred and ninety-four probes representing 674 uniquely annotated genes were identified as TGF beta responsive. Expression of the TGF beta-responsive signature was examined in skin biopsies from 17 dSSc, seven limited SSc (ISSc), three morphea patients, and six healthy controls. The TGF beta-responsive signature was expressed in 10 out of 17 dSSc skin biopsies, but was not found in ISSc, morphea, or healthy control biopsies. Expression of dSSC the TGF beta-responsive signature stratifies patients into two major groups, one of which corresponds to the "diffuse-proliferation" intrinsic subset that showed higher modified Rodnan skin score and a higher likelihood of scleroderma lung disease. The TGF beta-responsive signature is found in only a subset of dSSc patients who could be targeted by specific therapies.

• 出版日期2010-3
• 单位西北大学