ELEVATED PLASMA TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-β1 LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH VASCULOGENIC ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

초록

Purpose: TGF-β1 induced cavernous fibrosis has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED). We evaluated the plasma TGF-β1 level in ED patients of various causes to investigate how it is related with ED. Materials and Methods: 62 patients with ED (mean age: 51.8 years, range: 30-72 years) and 26 potent men (mean age: 54.7 years, range: 28-72 years) were subjected to the study. Based on multidisciplinary work-ups, which included their medical history, P/E, blood tests with lipid profile and hormones, penile duplex Doppler ultrasonogram, and cavernous NADPH diaphorase staining, causes for ED were classified as psychogenic (n=15), neurogenic (n=16), and vasculogenic (n=31). The Plasma TGF-β1 level was measured with ELISA Results: The plasma TGF-β1 level was a significant increase in the ED group (6.7 ±4.9 ng/㎖), compared to the control group (4.0 ± 2.1 ng/㎖) (p<0.01). Of the ED group, there was a significant increase in the vasculogenic group (9.0 ± 5.5 ng/㎖), compared to the psychogenic (3.8 ± 1.8 ng/㎖) and neurogenic groups (4.8 ± 3.2 ng/㎖) (p<0.01). Of the vascular risk factors, both the smoking (7.5 ± 4.7 ng/㎖) and dyslipidemia groups (7.4 ± 4.4 ng/㎖) showed significantly increased plasma TGF-β1 levels, compared to the non-smokers (5.5 ± 2.8 ng/㎖), and those without dyslipidemia (4.8 ± 2.8 ng/㎖), respectively (p<0.05). Patients with atherosclerosis (9.0 ± 5.3 ng/㎖) also showed an increased plasma TGF-β1 level compared to those without atherosclerosis (6.2 ± 4.7 ng/㎖), but it was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The plasma TGF-β1 level was increased in patients with ED, especially in those with vasculogenic causes. Among the vascular risk factors, the smoking and dyslipidemia groups showed elevated plasma TGF-β1 level. Vascular risk factors may contribute to cavernous fibrosis and resultant ED, which is associated with an elevated plasma TGF-β1 level.