title: Evaluation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and Endostatin levels in induced sputum and relationship to bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis monosensitized to house dust.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies about the pathogenesis of bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) and its relationship with lower airway remodeling are extremely limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated bronchial vascular remodeling via the measurement of angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and anti-angiogenic factor, Endostatin, and evaluated their relationship with BHR in patients with PAR.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 30 patients with PAR monosensitized to house dust mites and 14 non-allergic healthy controls. All subjects underwent induced sputum and methacholine (M) bronchial provocation tests. VEGF-A and Endostatin levels were measured by ELISA in induced sputum supernatants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages of eosinophils in induced sputum were significantly increased in patients with PAR compared with healthy controls. There were no significant differences between patients with PAR and healthy controls in terms of levels of VEGF (37.9pg/ml, min-max: 5-373pg/ml vs. 24.9, min-max: 8-67pg/ml, p=0.8 respectively), Endostatin (532.5pg/ml, min-max: 150-2125pg/ml vs. 644, min-max: 223-1123pg/ml, p=0.2 respectively) and VEGF/Endostatin ratio (0.057 vs. 0.045, p=0.8 respectively). In addition, there were no significant differences between patients who are BHR positive (n=8), or negative to M (n=22) in terms of levels of VEGF, Endostatin and VEGF/Endostatin ratio and no correlations among value of PD20 to M and levels of VEGF, Endostatin and VEGF/Endostatin ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that VEGF-A and Endostatin did not differ between patients with PAR and healthy controls regardless of BHR to M.
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases, Division of Immunology and Allergic Diseases, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: insu2004@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Baskent University, Department of Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Division of Clinical Cytology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ceyhan
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases, Division of Immunology and Allergic Diseases, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seçil
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, Department of Biostatistics, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases, Division of Immunology and Allergic Diseases, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mısırlıgil
authors.affiliation: Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases, Division of Immunology and Allergic Diseases, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bavbek
keywords: Bronchial hyperreactivity; Endostatin; Eosinophil; Induced sputum; Persistent allergic rhinitis; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular remodeling