title: [DNA damage in lymphocytes from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship of DNA damage in lymphocytes with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in peripheral lymphocytes were measured by Western blot in 20 COPD patients with smoking, 20 healthy smoking control subjects and 15 healthy nonsmokers. DNA damage in the lymphocytes was detected by Comet Assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA damage score was 42.1 +/- 10.2, 17.4 +/- 9.3 and 10.1 +/- 3.6 in COPD patients, healthy smoking control subjects and healthy nonsmokers, respectively; the score was higher in COPD patients than that in healthy smoking control subjects, and was higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (P < 0.01). The levels of HSP70 (absorbency value) were 20.9 +/- 9.9, 44.8 +/- 15.3 and 56.1 +/- 18.9, respectively, and the difference was significant among the three groups (P < 0.05). The level of HSP70 showed a strongly negative correlation with DNA damage scores (r = -0.73, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA damage may be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. The difference of HSP70 level may be associated with the level of DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong Science and Technology University, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jun-gang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yong-jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhen-xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Shi-xin
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins