Epithelial apoptosis as a clinical marker in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.
BACKGROUND
Epithelial cell apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP).


METHODS
Serum levels of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (M30) were measured in 55 patients with IIP and 34 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The IIP cases included usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP; n = 30), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP; n = 15), and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP; n = 10). The radiological scoring was performed based on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings.


RESULTS
Patients with IIP had higher serum M30 levels than did the control group (178.6 ± 91.5 vs. 113.7 ± 46.8 U/L, p < 0.05). Among IIP patients, COP patients had higher serum M30 levels than did UIP or NSIP patients (264.9 ± 132.7, 139.2 ± 49.7, and 201.2 ± 81.1 U/L, respectively; COP vs. UIP, p < 0.01). Serum M30 levels were negatively correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC; r(s) = -0.31), percent-predicted FVC (FVC%; r(s) = -0.38), and percent-predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)%; r(s) = -0.36). Serum M30 levels were correlated with radiological ground-glass opacity scores (r(s) = 0.61).


CONCLUSIONS
The epithelial apoptosis marker serum level was correlated with IIP clinical status and is a potential marker to assess IIP.
Chung
Wou Young
WY
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea.
Sun
Joo Sung
JS
Park
Joo Hun
JH
Lee
Hye Lim
HL
Lee
Keu Sung
KS
Kim
Young Sun
YS
Sheen
Seung Soo
SS
Park
Kyung Joo
KJ
Hwang
Sung Chul
SC
Lee
Kyi Beom
KB
Park
Kwang Joo
KJ
D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D054988:Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013147:Spirometry; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D015415:Biomarkers; D053538:Keratin-18