Volume 69, Issue 10, Pages 1872-1879 (May 2006) TGF-β1 mRNA upregulation influences chronic renal allograft dysfunction  P. Pribylova-Hribova, K. Kotsch, A. Lodererova, O. Viklicky, S. Vitko, H.-D. Volk, J. Lacha  Kidney International  Volume 69, Issue 10, Pages 1872-1879 (May 2006) DOI: 10.1038/sj.ki.5000328 Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 TGF-β1 protein expression in different renal structures. TGF-β1 protein expression level of group CAN was in interstitium significantly (P<0.05) different from interstitium TGF-β1 protein expression level of non-rejecting controls. There was difference in TGF-β1 protein expression levels in infiltrating cells between groups acute rejection and non-rejecting controls (P<0.01). The boxes show the average contribution of different renal structures to the total score of TGF-β1 protein expression. non Rx, non-rejecting controls; a Rx, acute rejection; b Rx, borderline changes. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 2 Trend towards higher TGF-β1 protein expression in patients with enhanced TGF-β1 mRNA expression. The correlation coefficient did not reach the level of significance. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 3 TGF-β1 mRNA upregulation in different causes of graft dysfunction. Results are expressed as a ratio in arbitrary units (AU) TGF-β1/AU HPRT. The mRNA TGF-β1 expression levels of the groups acute rejection (acute Rx, P<0.001), CAN (P<0.001), ATN (P<0.001), borderline changes (b Rx, P<0.01), and cyclosporine A toxicity (CsA tox., P<0.05) were significantly different from the non-rejecting controls (non Rx). The box plots show the 25th and 75th (boundaries of boxes), 50th (median), 10th and 90th (error bars), and 5th and 95th (dots) percentile values. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 4 The effect of intragraft TGF-β1 expression on short-term outcome of acute rejection. TGF-β1 mRNA expression did not differ between the groups of steroid-resistant acute rejection and other acute rejections. Serum creatinine at the time of biopsy and 1, 6, 12, and 18 months after the biopsy did not differ between the groups of steroid-resistant acute rejection and other acute rejections. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 5 The association of renal function at the time of biopsy with TGF-β1 mRNA expression. Kidney graft function was quantified by estimated GFR. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions

Figure 6 Intragraft TGF-β1 protein expression – immunohistology. Negative staining for TGF-β1 in protocol biopsies 12 months after transplantation with normal histology are shown in panel (a). Focal positive staining in glomeruli and a mild positive signal in the endothelium of peritubular capillaries (b). A dense diffuse positive signal was seen in panel (c) in the endothelium of peritubular capillaries in renal allograft with delayed graft function (ATN). Diffuse positive TGF-β1 staining was shown in panel (d) in a patient with CAN grade III. Kidney International 2006 69, 1872-1879DOI: (10.1038/sj.ki.5000328) Copyright © 2006 International Society of Nephrology Terms and Conditions