title: Epithelial apoptosis as a clinical marker in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Wou Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Joo Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Joo Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hye Lim
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keu Sung
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sheen
authors.forename: Kyung Joo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kyi Beom
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Joo
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053538:Keratin-18