Increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia inducible factor-1α in lung tissue of patients with chronic bronchitis.
OBJECTIVE
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but its site-specific expression in lung tissue and the relationship with hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) expression in chronic bronchitis (CB) type COPD have not been studied.


METHODS
We evaluated the expression of VEGF and its receptors in various compartments of lung tissue in three groups: non-smokers with normal lung function (non-smokers, n=10), smokers without COPD (healthy smokers, n=10) and smokers with CB (CB, n=10), using immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. The expression of HIF-1α was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy smokers, VEGF expression in CB was significantly increased in bronchiolar epithelium, vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle (p<0.05). VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-2 expression in CB was also increased in bronchiolar smooth muscle, vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle compared with healthy smokers (p<0.05). The level of HIF-1α was increased in CB compared with healthy smokers and positively correlated with those of VEGF (r=0.64, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF and VEGFR-2 expressions were up-regulated in CB and increased expression of VEGF was related with HIF-1α. HIF-1α-regulated VEGF overexpression may be a characteristic of chronic bronchitis.
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, KEPCO Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung Hyeun
SH
Lee
Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang Hoon
SH
Lee
Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chul Hwan
CH
Kim
Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Suk
KS
Yang
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Eun Joo
EJ
Lee
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Hoon
KH
Min
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gyu Young
GY
Hur
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung Heon
SH
Lee
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sung Yong
SY
Lee
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Je Hyeong
JH
Kim
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chol
C
Shin
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jae Jeong
JJ
Shim
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kwang Ho
KH
In
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Ho
KH
Kang
Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: pulsy@korea.ac.kr.
Sang Yeub
SY
Lee
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Chronic bronchitis; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Smoking; Vascular endothelial growth factor