title: Vascular endothelial growth factor: an angiogenic factor reflecting airway inflammation in healthy smokers and in patients with bronchitis type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with bronchitis type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have raised vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in induced sputum. This has been associated with the pathogenesis of COPD through apoptotic and oxidative stress mechanisms. Since, chronic airway inflammation is an important pathological feature of COPD mainly initiated by cigarette smoking, aim of this study was to assess smoking as a potential cause of raised airway VEGF levels in bronchitis type COPD and to test the association between VEGF levels in induced sputum and airway inflammation in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  14 current smokers with bronchitis type COPD, 17 asymptomatic current smokers with normal spirometry and 16 non-smokers were included in the study. VEGF, IL-8, and TNF-alpha levels in induced sputum were measured and the correlations between these markers, as well as between VEGF levels and pulmonary function were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median concentrations of VEGF, IL-8, and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in induced sputum of COPD patients (1,070 pg/ml, 5.6 ng/ml and 50 pg/ml, respectively) compared to nonsmokers (260 pg/ml, 0.73 ng/ml, and 15.4 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.05) and asymptomatic smokers (421 pg/ml, 1.27 ng/ml, p < 0.05, and 18.6 pg/ml, p > 0.05, respectively). Significant correlations were found between VEGF levels and pack years (r = 0.56, p = 0.046), IL-8 (r = 0.64, p = 0.026) and TNF-alpha (r = 0.62, p = 0.031) levels both in asymptomatic and COPD smokers (r = 0.66, p = 0.027, r = 0.67, p = 0.023, and r = 0.82, p = 0.002, respectively). No correlation was found between VEGF levels in sputum and pulmonary function parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VEGF levels are raised in the airways of both asymptomatic and COPD smokers. The close correlation observed between VEGF levels in the airways and markers of airway inflammation in healthy smokers and in smokers with bronchitis type of COPD is suggestive of VEGF as a marker reflecting the inflammatory process that occurs in smoking subjects without alveolar destruction.
authors.affiliation: Asthma and Allergy Center, Pulmonary and Critical Care Department, Evgenidion Hospital, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece. rovinanikoletta@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nikoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rovina
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papapetropoulos
authors.forename: Androniki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kollintza
authors.forename: Makrina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michailidou
authors.forename: Davina C M
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Simoes
authors.forename: Charis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roussos
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gratziou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A