Airway cytokine expression measured by means of protein array in exhaled breath condensate: correlation with physiologic properties in asthmatic patients.
BACKGROUND
Simultaneous monitoring of airway inflammation and physiology might be useful for asthma management.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the upregulated molecules in asthmatic airways. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between these molecules and the airway physiologic properties of asthma.


METHODS
Ten nonsmoking healthy subjects and 16 steroid-naive asthmatic patients were enrolled. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) sampling, spirometry, and methacholine inhalation challenge were performed on one occasion in this cross-sectional study. Peak expiratory flow was also measured for 4 weeks. Airway cytokine-chemokine-growth factor production was analyzed with a protein array.


RESULTS
The expressions of IL-4, IL-8, IL-17, TNF-alpha, RANTES, IFN-gamma-inducible protein 10, TGF-beta, and macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha and 1beta were significantly upregulated in asthmatic airways compared with those of nonsmoking healthy subjects. Among the upregulated molecules, RANTES expression was significantly correlated with the parameters that represent airway caliber, FEV(1) and respiratory resistance values. In addition, the levels of both TNF-alpha and TGF-beta were significantly correlated with the methacholine threshold and peak expiratory flow variability for the week.


CONCLUSIONS
Inflammatory molecule analysis with EBC appeared to be useful for monitoring the asthmatic airway condition.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurements of cytokine levels in EBC might be a promising approach to assess the efficacy of pharmacologic interventions and to investigate the pathophysiology of asthma.
Matsunaga
Kazuto
K
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan. masakazu@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Yanagisawa
Satoru
S
Ichikawa
Tomohiro
T
Ueshima
Kazuhito
K
Akamatsu
Keiichirou
K
Hirano
Tsunahiko
T
Nakanishi
Masanori
M
Yamagata
Toshiyuki
T
Minakata
Yoshiaki
Y
Ichinose
Masakazu
M
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001944:Breath Tests; D001980:Bronchi / Q000276:immunology*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D016207:Cytokines