Asthma and lower airway diseaseExpression of smooth muscle and extracellular matrix proteins in relation to airway function in asthma
Section snippets
Subjects
This study was performed in the framework of a previously published project.4 Thirteen patients with mild persistent asthma (Global Initiative for Asthma steps 1 and 224) were recruited for this study. All patients had a history of episodic chest tightness or wheezing. Their baseline FEV1 was more than 70% of predicted.25 The PC20 methacholine was less than 8 mg/mL.26 All patients were atopic, as determined by a positive skin prick test result (≥3mm wheal) to 1 or more of 10 common aeroallergen
Smooth muscle protein expression
The density of the smooth muscle protein staining was determined in the whole biopsy section. The mean density (gray value) for each marker is given in Table I. All available sections (2 per patient) were used in the analysis. Fig 1 presents examples of the immunohistochemical staining in the same biopsy section of 1 subject. All markers, except for vimentin, strongly stained the airway smooth muscle cells. Vimentin was negative or weakly expressed in the smooth muscle cells. Outside the smooth
Discussion
Our results demonstrate an inverse association between PC20 methacholine and the level of expression of α-SM-actin, desmin, and elastin in bronchial biopsies in patients with asthma. Also, we showed that FEV1% predicted was positively related, and deep inspiration–induced reduction in respiratory resistance inversely related to calponin, desmin, and MLCK expression. Thus, airway hyperresponsiveness, lung function, and airway responses to deep inspiration are associated with the level of
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Supported by the Netherlands Asthma Foundation (3.2.02.34).
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: J. C. de Jongste has received research support from Aerocrine. K. F. Rabe has consulting arrangements with AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Pfizer, Altana, GlaxoSmithKline, and Roche; has received research support from AstraZeneca, Merck, Altana, and Boehringer Ingelheim; and is on the speakers' bureau for AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelhim, Novartis, Pfizer, Altana, GlaxoSmithKline, and Roche. P. S. Hiemstra has received research support from AltanaPharma, Novartis, Bayer, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck, Exhale Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline. The rest of the authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.