Urinary transforming growth factor-beta1 excretion in renal allograft recipients during the early post-transplantation period.

Background: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), the major fibrogenic growth factor, is implicated in the pathogenesis of renal scarring in experimental and clinical nephropathies as well as in chronic allograft nephropathy. In this study we examined the pattern of changes of TGF-beta1 excretion in the urine and the sites of TGF-beta1 expression in the kidney of transplanted patients during the early post-transplantation period.

Methods: Eighteen renal allograft recipients were included in the study.