Revista brasileira de cirurgia cardiovascular : órgão oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular
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Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc · Jul 2011
Transforming growth factor-β/Smad signaling function in the aortopathies.
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway in aortic dissection patients and normal subjects has not been previously described. The present study was designed to evaluate the TGF-β/Smad signaling expressions in the patients with acute type A aortic dissection in comparison with those in the patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and with coronary artery disease, and (or) the healthy subjects. ⋯ Aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm and atheroslerosis might be associated with an enhanced TGF β/Smad signaling function, with aortic dissection exhibiting a less prominent upregulation. It might have implications for downstream signal activation presumably translating into matrix degradation in the condition of aortic dissection in comparison to matrix deposition in aortic aneurysm and coronary artery disease.