The role of small heat-shock protein αB-crystalline (HspB5) in COPD pathogenesis.
BACKGROUND
αB-crystallin (HspB5) is a chaperone whose role as a marker of innate immunity activation as well as its therapeutic potential have recently been investigated in several inflammatory diseases: multiple sclerosis, myocardial ischemia, and Guillain-Barré syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to determine the role of αB-crystallin in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis and inflammation.


METHODS
Plasma levels of αB-crystallin were studied in 163 patients: 52 healthy non-COPD smokers; 20 COPD smokers in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages I-II; 43 COPD smokers in GOLD stages III-IV. Forty-eight patients were diagnosed with acute inflammatory respiratory disease. The plasma levels of αB-crystallin antibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Calbiochem), and were confirmed with Western blotting. Tissue expression of the protein was compared in three different groups of patients: COPD smokers, COPD nonsmokers, and in patients with age-related emphysema.


RESULTS
The mean level of anti-αB-crystallin antibodies in non-COPD smokers was 0.291 nm. In COPD smokers it was 0.352 nm and, in patients with inflammatory lung diseases, 0.433 nm. There was a statistically significant difference between COPD smokers and healthy non-COPD smokers (P = 0.010). The same could be observed comparing the group of patients with acute inflammation and non-COPD healthy smokers (P = 0.007). There was no statistically significant difference between patients with mild/moderate inflammation and those with severe COPD. Tissue detection of the protein showed that it was significantly overexpressed in COPD smokers in comparison to COPD nonsmokers and was only slightly expressed in patients with age-related emphysema.


CONCLUSIONS
αB-crystallin is increased in patients with inflammatory lung diseases. Though unspecific, it could be used in a panel of markers discerning COPD smokers from healthy nonsmokers. As αB-crystallin is a regulator of innate immunity and a therapeutic anti-inflammatory agent, its exact role in COPD pathogenesis and therapy should be explored further.
Clinic of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonology, University Hospital Alexandrovska, Sofia, Bulgaria. cherneva_radost@yahoo.com
Radostina V
RV
Cherneva
Ognian B
OB
Georgiev
Daniela S
DS
Petrova
Nedka L
NL
Trifonova
Maria
M
Stamenova
Vesela
V
Ivanova
Veselin I
VI
Vlasov
D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; C059215:CRYAB protein, human; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9