Tissue transglutaminase can be involved in airway inflammation of toluene diisocyanate-induced occupational asthma.
BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to evaluate whether tissue transglutaminase (tTG) may be involved in airway inflammation of toluene diisocyanate-induced occupational asthma (TDI-OA).


METHODS
We enrolled 93 patients with TDI-OA, 177 asymptomatic exposed subjects, 43 patients with allergic asthma, and 70 unexposed normal controls. The prevalence of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) to tTG in the TDI-OA group (20.2%) was significantly higher than that in the three other groups (P < 0.001).


RESULTS
TDI-OA patients with serum IgG to tTG had significantly lower methacholine PC(20) values (P < 0.02) and significantly higher prevalence of specific immunoglobulin E to vapor type TDI-human serum albumin conjugate (P < 0.01; r(2) = 0.411, P < 0.05). TDI exposure could increase tTG activity via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which was found to cross-link with cytokeratin 19 on immunoblot analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, TDI exposure may activate tTG via ROS-mediated mechanism in the airway epithelium leading to persistent airway inflammation in TDI-OA patients.
Hur
Gyu-Young
GY
Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
Sung-Ho
SH
Park
Sang Myun
SM
Ye
Young-Min
YM
Kim
Cheol-Woo
CW
Jang
An-Soo
AS
Park
Choon-Sik
CS
Hong
Chein Soo
CS
Park
Hae-Sim
HS
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000473:pathology*; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate / Q000633:toxicity*; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins