title: The role of chitin, chitinases, and chitinase-like proteins in pediatric lung diseases.
abstract: Chitin, after cellulose, the second most abundant biopolymer on earth, is a key component of insects, fungi, and house-dust mites. Lower life forms are endowed with chitinases to defend themselves against chitin-bearing pathogens. Unexpectedly, humans were also found to express chitinases as well as chitinase-like proteins that modulate immune responses. Particularly, increased levels of the chitinase-like protein YKL-40 have been associated with severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other inflammatory disease conditions. Here, we summarize and discuss the potential role of chitin, chitinases, and chitinase-like proteins in pediatric lung diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics/UKBB, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4003, Basel, Switzerland. ines.mack@ukbb.ch.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. andreas.hector@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hector
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. marlene.ballbach@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballbach
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. julius.kohlhaeufl@student.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohlhäufl
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074, Tübingen, Germany. katharina.fuchs@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Katharina J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074, Tübingen, Germany. alexander.weber@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational Pulmonology, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University of Heidelberg, Grabengasse 1, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany. marcus.mall@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mall
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. dominik.hartl@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hartl
keywords: AMCase; Asthma; BRP-39; CHIT1; Chitin; Chitinase-like proteins; Chitinases; Chitotriosidase; Cystic fibrosis; Fungi; Inflammation; Lung diseases; M2 macrophages; YKL-40