Notably, the upregulation of IL-11 expression (2.83-fold, P=7.2×10-4) defined the dominant transcriptional response of OFs to TGF-β1 (Figure 4A), which was further verified at the mRNA level by qRT-PCR and at protein levels by ELISA, both in TAO patients and in healthy controls in a time-dependent manner (Figures 4B, C). The gene discussed is IL11; the disease is thromboangiitis obliterans.