Downregulation of TGF-beta1 mRNA and protein in the muscles of patients with inflammatory myopathies after treatment with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin.
These findings suggest a correlation between TGF-beta 1 and connective tissue proliferation in inflammatory myopathy, while its immunomodulatory role remains to be elucidated.
In contrast to the variable expression of several of the above mentioned cytokine mRNAs, all IM specimens strongly expressed TGF-beta 1 mRNA and 12 of 15 strongly expressed TGF-beta 2 mRNA.