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. 2025 Mar 8;26(6):2431.
doi: 10.3390/ijms26062431.

Association of the TGFB1 Gene Polymorphisms with Pain Symptoms and the Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Prospective Cohort Study

Alicja Jarosz  1 , Justyna Wrona  1 , Anna Balcerzyk-Matić  1 , Karol Szyluk  2   3 , Tomasz Nowak  1 , Tomasz Iwanicki  1 , Joanna Iwanicka  1 , Marcin Kalita  2 , Wojciech Kania  4 , Katarzyna Gawron  5 , Paweł Niemiec  1
Affiliations

Association of the TGFB1 Gene Polymorphisms with Pain Symptoms and the Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Prospective Cohort Study

Alicja Jarosz et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The regenerative properties of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) result from the high concentration of growth factors, including transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). Nevertheless, this form of therapy may not always be effective due to the variability in genetic factors. In this study, the association of TGFB1 gene polymorphisms with the effectiveness of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) treatment with PRP was investigated. The effectiveness of therapy was assessed using minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROM), specifically visual analog scale (VAS), quick version of disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand score (QDASH), and patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) for two years (in weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 52, and 104). The most effective therapy was noticed in CC rs2278422 genotype carriers, whereas carriers of AA, CC, and CC genotypes (rs12461895, rs4803455, rs2241717) showed more severe pain before therapy. Moreover, the analyses revealed an association of studied polymorphisms with such parameters of blood morphology as eosinophils (EOS), neutrophils (NEU), and monocytes (MONO). In conclusion, genotyping of rs2278422 variant may be a valuable diagnostic method for patient selection for PRP therapy, while genotyping of rs12461895, rs4803455, and rs2241717 polymorphisms may be used for prediction of increased risk of pain sensation.

Keywords: PRP; TGF-β1; TGFB1; lateral elbow tendinopathy; platelet-rich plasma; transforming growth factor beta 1.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of this study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of this manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Results of haplotype analyses of the studied TGFB1 gene polymorphisms: (A) D’, (B) R2, and (C) haplotypes frequencies. The color intensity reflects the values of D’ and R2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Medians (±QD) of PROM values for carriers of different genotypes. Results for (A) rs2278422 VAS, (B) rs2278422 ΔVAS, (C) rs12461895 VAS, (D) rs12461895 ΔVAS. Legend: QD, quartile deviation; PROM, patient-reported outcome measure; VAS, visual analog scale; * significant difference (p < 0.050); ** statistically important after Hochberg correction (threshold of significance: p ≤ 0.007).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Differences in PROM values for carriers of different TGFB1 gene genotypes, additive model. Results for (A) rs2278422, (B) rs12461895. * statistically significant differences after Hochberg correction (threshold of significance: p ≤ 0.016).
Figure 4
Figure 4
In silico analyses of the effect of (A) rs4803455 and (B) rs2241717 polymorphisms on the TGFB1 gene expression level in whole blood. Figure prepared using GTEx portal data [31].
Figure 5
Figure 5
In silico analyses of the effect of rs2278422 polymorphisms on the TGFB1 gene expression level in whole blood. Figure prepared based on GTEx portal data [31].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Flow chart presenting selection of studied group.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Location of the TGFB1 gene on chromosome 19 and location of the studied SNPs. The figure was created using the data from LD-matrix tool [65].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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