title: Anti-inflammatory deficiencies in neutrophilic asthma: reduced galectin-3 and IL-1RA/IL-1β.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Galectin-3 (gal-3), a member of the β-galactoside-binding animal lectins, is involved in the recruitment, activation and removal of neutrophils. Neutrophilic asthma is characterized by a persistent elevation of airway neutrophils and impaired efferocytosis. We hypothesized that sputum gal-3 would be reduced in neutrophilic asthma and the expression of gal-3 would be associated with other markers of neutrophilic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults with asthma (n = 80) underwent a sputum induction following clinical assessment and blood collection. Sputum was dispersed for a differential cell count and ELISA assessment of gal-3, gal-3 binding protein (BP), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA), IL-8 and IL-6. Gal-3 and gal-3BP immunoreactivity were assessed in mixed sputum cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sputum gal-3 (median, (q1,q3)) was significantly reduced in neutrophilic asthma (183 ng/mL (91,287)) compared with eosinophilic (293 ng/mL (188,471), p = 0.021) and paucigranulocytic asthma (399 ng/mL (213,514), p = 0.004). The gal-3/gal-3BP ratio and IL-1RA/IL-1β ratio were significantly reduced, while gal-3BP and IL-1β were significantly elevated in neutrophilic asthma compared with eosinophilic and paucigranulocytic asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with neutrophilic asthma have impairment in anti-inflammatory ratio of gal-3/gal-3BP and IL-1RA/IL-1β which provides a further framework for exploration into pathologic mechanisms of asthma phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China. gaopeng1234@sina.com.|Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia. gaopeng1234@sina.com.|Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. gaopeng1234@sina.com.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia. peter.gibson@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au.|Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. peter.gibson@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au.|Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, Australia. peter.gibson@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia. katherine.baines@newcastle.edu.au.|Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. katherine.baines@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Baines
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. YangI@health.qld.gov.au.|Department of Thoracic Medicine, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. YangI@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Ian A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. john.upham@uq.edu.au.|Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. john.upham@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Upham
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia. paul.reynolds@health.sa.gov.au.|Lung Research Laboratory, Hanson Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. paul.reynolds@health.sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia. sandra.hodge@health.sa.gov.au.|Lung Research Laboratory, Hanson Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia. sandra.hodge@health.sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Physiology and Sleep Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia. alj@westnet.com.au.|School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. alj@westnet.com.au.
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Trials, The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia. christine.jenkins@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Matthew.Peters@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.|Department of Thoracic Medicine, Concord General Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia. Matthew.Peters@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China. doctorzhangj@sina.com.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia. jodie.simpson@newcastle.edu.au.|Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. jodie.simpson@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jodie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D001315:Australia; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000032:analysis*; D037161:Galectins; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013183:Sputum / Q000276:immunology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015415:Biomarkers; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D037161:Galectins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; C508585:IL1B protein, human; C507763:IL1RN protein, human; C428445:LGALS3 protein, human; C081856:LGALS3BP protein, human; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins