title: Promoter analysis and aberrant expression of the MUC5B gene in diffuse panbronchiolitis.
abstract: Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease predominantly affecting Asian populations. DPB is considered to be a complex genetic disease. Considering the mucous hypersecretion of the disease, we hypothesized that the transcriptional activity of mucin genes may be altered in DPB. We analyzed nucleotide sequences of regulatory region of six mucin genes--MUC1, MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC7--and detected their promoter polymorphisms. Among them, the insertion/deletion polymorphism identified in the MUC5B gene was significantly associated with the disease (p = 0.0001). Transcriptional activity observed in the three major promoter haplotypes corresponded to the strength of the disease association in which these haplotypes are involved. Immunohistochemistry of the lung tissues of DPB revealed that MUC5B was abundantly expressed not only in bronchial glands but also in increased numbers of goblet cells on the bronchial surface, where MUC5AC is predominant and MUC5B expression is generally scarce in the normal lung. Marked mucous hypersecretion observed in DPB may be partly explained by increased and aberrant expression of MUC5B. The possible involvement of MUC5B gene in DPB was demonstrated. A further role of the MUC5B polymorphism in its pathogenesis should be studied in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamio
authors.forename: Ikumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hijikata
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobashi
authors.forename: Goh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Koh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Katsushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokunaga
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Sakae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Homma
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Arata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kudoh
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keicho
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055262:Mucin-2; D055264:Mucin-4; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C524625:MUC2 protein, human; C524658:MUC4 protein, human; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524578:MUC5B protein, human; C083238:MUC7 protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D055262:Mucin-2; D055264:Mucin-4; D055257:Mucin-5B; D009077:Mucins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides