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Study · Measured the body's own peptide · 2016

4 results

Thymosin β4 and β10 in Sjögren's syndrome: saliva proteomics and minor salivary glands expression.

Bosello S, Peluso G, Iavarone F, Tolusso B, Messana I, Faa G, Castagnola M, Ferraccioli G

Arthritis research & therapy6 Oct 2016Cited by 6 (Europe PMC)

PMID27716395 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC5053072 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1186/s13075-016-1134-7 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-27716395
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Summary

BackgroundIn the present study, we investigated whether thymosin β (Tβ) in saliva and in minor salivary glands is differentially expressed in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and patients with autoimmune diseases (systemic sclerosis [SSc], systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA], with and without sicca syndrome [ss]).MethodsSaliva specimens of nine patients with pSS, seven with ss/SSc, seven with ss/SLE, seven with ss/RA, seven with SSc, seven with SLE, and seven with RA, as well as ten healthy subjects, were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source to investigate the presence and levels of Tβ4, Tβ4 sulfoxide, and Tβ10. Immunostaining for Tβ4 and Tβ10 was performed on minor salivary glands of patients with pSS and ss.ResultsTβ4 levels were statistically higher in patients with pSS with respect to the other subgroups. Tβ10 was detectable in 66.7 % of patients with pSS and in 42.8 % of those with ss/SSc, while Tβ4 sulfoxide was detectable in 44.4 % of patients with pSS and in 42.9 % of those with ss/SSc. Tβ10 and Tβ4 sulfoxide were not detectable in patients without associated ss and in healthy control subjects. Regarding thymosin immunostaining, all patients had immunoreactivity for Tβ10, and a comparable distribution pattern in the four different subgroups of patients was observed. Tβ4 immunoreactivity was present in patients with ss/SSc and those with ss/SLE, while it was completely absent in patients with pSS and those with ss/RA.ConclusionsOur data show that higher salivary Tβ expression characterizes patients with pSS, while Tβ4 sulfoxide and Tβ10 salivary expression was selectively present in patients with sicca symptoms. Moreover, at the immunohistochemical level in patients with pSS, minor salivary glands showed a peculiar pattern characterized by immunostaining for Tβ10 in acinar cells in the absence of any reactivity for Tβ4. These findings, taken together, suggest a different role for Tβ4 and Tβ10 in patients with pSS who have ss and other autoimmune disease.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study4

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Natural levels measured4

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 01HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    Salivary Tβ4 levels were statistically higher in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome than in the other subgroups.

    In plain wordsNatural Tβ4 in saliva was higher in people with primary Sjögren's syndrome than in the other groups.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    IncreaseSalivary Tβ4 levels in primary Sjögren's syndrome
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Comparator
    Other patient subgroups
    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Tβ4 levels were statistically higher in patients with pSS with respect to the other subgroups.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Saliva specimens of nine patients with pSS, seven with ss/SSc, seven with ss/SLE, seven with ss/RA, seven with SSc, seven with SLE, and seven with RA, as well as ten healthy subjects

    This result measures the body's own Thymosin beta-4 (human). Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  2. 02HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    Tβ4 sulfoxide was detectable in the saliva of 44.4 % of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and 42.9 % of those with sicca syndrome and systemic sclerosis.

    In plain wordsAn oxidized form of the body's own Tβ4 was found in saliva of 44.4 % of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    Not applicableDetectable Tβ4 sulfoxide in saliva of patients with sicca syndrome
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation

    Measurements

    Patients with detectable Tβ4 sulfoxide
    44.4%
    primary Sjögren's syndrome
    Patients with detectable Tβ4 sulfoxide
    42.9%
    ss/SSc

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Tβ4 sulfoxide was detectable in 44.4 % of patients with pSS and in 42.9 % of those with ss/SSc.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Saliva specimens of nine patients with pSS, seven with ss/SSc, seven with ss/SLE, seven with ss/RA, seven with SSc, seven with SLE, and seven with RA, as well as ten healthy subjects

    This result measures the body's own Thymosin beta-4 (human). Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  3. 03HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    Tβ4 sulfoxide was not detectable in saliva of patients without associated sicca syndrome or in healthy control subjects.

    In plain wordsAn oxidized form of the body's own Tβ4 was not found in saliva of healthy people or patients without sicca syndrome.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    Direction not reportedTβ4 sulfoxide in patients without sicca syndrome and healthy controls
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Tβ10 and Tβ4 sulfoxide were not detectable in patients without associated ss and in healthy control subjects.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Saliva specimens of nine patients with pSS, seven with ss/SSc, seven with ss/SLE, seven with ss/RA, seven with SSc, seven with SLE, and seven with RA, as well as ten healthy subjects

    This result measures the body's own Thymosin beta-4 (human). Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

  4. 04HumanEndogenous levelObservational studyOther

    Tβ4 immunoreactivity in minor salivary glands was present in patients with ss/SSc and ss/SLE and completely absent in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and ss/RA.

    In plain wordsNatural Tβ4 staining in salivary glands was seen in some patient groups and absent in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    MixedTβ4 immunoreactivity in minor salivary glands
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Immune response · Immune and inflammation

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Tβ4 immunoreactivity was present in patients with ss/SSc and those with ss/SLE, while it was completely absent in patients with pSS and those with ss/RA.
    1 context sentence
    Summary · context
    Saliva specimens of nine patients with pSS, seven with ss/SSc, seven with ss/SLE, seven with ss/RA, seven with SSc, seven with SLE, and seven with RA, as well as ten healthy subjects

    This result measures the body's own Thymosin beta-4 (human). Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    13 Oct 2026, 01:52 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    12 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

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