["Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been implicated in many chronic fibrotic conditions such as pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis. We postulated that TGF-beta may play a role in the pathogenesis of Peyronie's disease.", "Tissues from the tunica albuginea of 30 Peyronie's disease patients (study group) and from 6 patients without Peyronie's disease, who had undergone penile prosthesis surgery for organic impotence (control group), were subjected to histological examination using Hart and trichrome stains and Western blotting for the detection of TGF-beta protein expression.", "The results of these experiments demonstrate that all tissue from Peyronie's disease patients showed a variety of histological changes of the tunica, ranging from chronic inflammatory cellular infiltration to complete calcification and ossification of the tissues. The most prominent changes observed in the majority of patients were focal or diffused elastosis, fenestration and disorganization of the collagen bundles. TGF-beta1 protein expression was detected in 26 patients (86%), while only 7 (23%) and 5 (17%) patients showed TGF-beta2 and TGF-beta3 protein expression, respectively. One patient in the control group showed fibrosis of the tunica albuginea and protein expression of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2. This patient had undergone surgery for the revision of his prosthesis twice. Five patients from the control group showed normal histological patterns of the tunica albuginea and no protein expression for TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2 and TGF-beta3."] Is peyronie 's disease associated with an increase in transforming growth factor-beta protein expression?