Pivotal role of connective tissue growth factor in lung fibrosis: MAPK-dependent transcriptional activation of type I collagen.

Journal article

OBJECTIVE: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF; CCN2) is overexpressed in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and has been hypothesized to be a key mediator of the pulmonary fibrosis frequently observed in this disease. CTGF is induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) and is a mediator of some profibrotic effects of TGFbeta in vitro. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of CTGF in enhanced expression of type I collagen in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, and to delineate the ...

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Authors: Ponticos, M; Holmes, A; Shi-wen, X; Leoni, P; Khan, K

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Arthritis and rheumatism
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 2142-2155
• Publication date: 2009-07-01
• DOI: 10.1002/art.24620
• EISSN: 1529-0131
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• Language: English
• Keywords: Base Sequence; Disease Models, Animal; Bleomycin; Transcription, Genetic; Connective Tissue Growth Factor; Mice; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; Animals; Collagen Type I; Collagen; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; Cells, Cultured; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; Smad Proteins; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Signal Transduction; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Humans; Mice, Transgenic; Fibroblasts; MAP Kinase Kinase 4; Molecular Sequence Data; Female; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; RNA, Small Interfering