High serum levels of transforming growth factor β1 are associated with increased cortical thickness in cingulate and right frontal areas in healthy subjects

Background: transforming growth factor β (tgf-β) is a cytokine having multiple functions in the central nervous system such as promoting repair mechanisms in degenerative diseases and stroke. to date,however,its neuroprotective effects in non-disease conditions have not been studied. methods: with the aim of exploring the relationship between peripheral tgf-β1 expression and brain structural integrity,70 healthy participants underwent high-resolution structural t1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans and blood sampling. data were processed to obtain brain cortical thickness and serum concentrations of tgf-β1. we investigated the correlation between tgf-β1 and cortical thickness using both region-of-interest- and vertex-based approaches.findings: region-of-interest-based analysis of the cortical mantle showed a correlation between tgf-β1 serum concentrations and cortical thickness bilaterally in cingulate and right frontal and temporal areas. similar results emerged in the vertex-based analysis,where significant correlations were found bilaterally in cingulate and right frontal cortices.conclusions: these results suggest that tgf-β1,through its role in down-regulating inflammatory processes,might have a beneficial effect on the structural integrity of the brain in physiological states. © 2012 piras et al; licensee biomed central ltd.