title: Airway remodelling assessed by sputum and high-resolution computed tomography in asthma and COPD.
abstract: It is not known whether sputum elastase, metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and tissue-inhibitor metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 are related to structural changes of the airways, as assessed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan. The relationships between these markers and the magnitude of structural changes of the airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were assessed. Induced sputum and HRCT scan were performed in 30 asthmatics (14 mild and 16 severe) and in 12 patients with COPD. A greater extent of HRCT scan abnormalities was found in COPD than in severe and mild asthmatics. HRCT scan abnormalities correlated with the degree of airway obstruction in COPD and in severe asthma. HRCT scan abnormalities also correlated with the levels of sputum elastase both in COPD and in severe asthma. HRCT scan abnormalities were associated with sputum MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in mild asthma, severe asthma and COPD. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that sputum elastase and the metalloproteinase-9/tissue-inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 ratio are associated with the magnitude of high-resolution computed tomography scan abnormalities of the airways in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and suggests that the levels of these markers reflect the extent of structural changes of the airways.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Generale e Pneumologia, Cattedra di Malattie Respiratorie, Università di Palermo, Via Trabucco 180, 90146 Palermo, Italy. vignola.am@iol.it.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vignola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paganin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capieu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scichilone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maakel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bellia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Godard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bousquet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9