title: [Change and clinical implication of urotensin II in plasma and induced sputum of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the roles of urotensin II (U-II) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma and induced sputum were obtained from thirty four patients with stable COPD and ten healthy volunteers. The levels of U-II in plasma and induced sputum were measured by RIA kit. Lung function was performed routinely. Induced sputum cells were counted with hemacytometer and differentiated with Wright-Giemsa stain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of U-II in induced sputum were 82 and 65 folds higher than those of plasma U-II in COPD patients and healthy controls (P<0.01). The levels of U-II in plasma were unrelated to those of induced sputum (r = 0.168, P>0.05). No difference was noted between COPD and healthy controls in the plasma U-II levels [1.46(1.15, 1.73) vs 1.61(1.31, 2.17) microg/L, medians with interquartile ranges, P>0.05]. Sputum U-II levels from COPD patients were 15% higher than those of healthy controls [119.87(105.03, 132.60) vs 104.44 (56.33, 122.24) microg/L, medians with interquartile ranges, P<0.05]. Induced sputum U-II levels of COPD patients had a trend of increase as lung function deteriorated and smoking index increases. Raised sputum total cell and neutrophil counts correlated strongly with the levels of U-II in induced sputum (r = 0.454, r = 0.431, both P<0.01). The levels of U-II in induced sputum correlated negatively with FEV(1)% predicted and p(O(2)) (r = -0.417, r = -0.518, both P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  U-II may act locally, or, via paracrine or autocrine way, play a role in the mechanism of the airway inflammation and airway remodeling in COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wan-zhen
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Ya-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chao-shu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D056151:Airway Remodeling; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014579:Urotensins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014579:Urotensins; C029677:urotensin II