title: Circulating fibrocytes correlate with the asthma control test score.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bronchial asthma is characterised by airway inflammation and remodelling with a decline of lung function. Fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells that play important roles in the pathogenesis of airway remodelling. Several clinical parameters are currently being used in routine clinical practice to assess outcome of therapy in asthma including frequency of rescue with short-acting β2-agonist and the asthma control test. In this study, we hypothesised that asthma control test is associated with circulating levels of fibrocytes in bronchial asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 20 patients with asthma and seven healthy controls. The number of CD45(+)Collagen I(+) circulating fibrocytes was assessed in the peripheral blood by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of circulating fibrocytes was significantly increased in asthma patients with moderate and severe disease compared to controls, and it was inversely correlated with % forced expiratory volume in one second and % forced vital capacity (%FVC). The frequency of inhalation of short-acting β2 agonist and the asthma control test score was significantly and inversely correlated with the number of circulating fibrocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that the number of circulating fibrocytes is inversely correlated with clinical asthma control parameters, further supporting the relevance of measuring circulating fibrocytes as a marker of clinical control in bronchial asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematopoietic Pathology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuya
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematopoietic Pathology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urata
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro-Gabazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan; Department of Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan. Electronic address: gabazza@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gabazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takei
mesh_terms: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007564:Japan; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D015415:Biomarkers; D024042:Collagen Type I; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; C516769:PTPRC protein, human
keywords: Asthma control test; Bronchial asthma; Fibrocytes; Short-acting Beta2 agonist