title: Circulating angiopoietin-1 and -2 in patients with stable and exacerbated asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiopoietin (Ang)-1 and -2 are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and have been identified as markers of asthma severity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relation between circulating angiopoietins and clinical variables of patients with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients with bronchial asthma and 25 healthy controls were enrolled. Ang1 and Ang2 plasma levels were analyzed in patients with stable and exacerbated asthma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma Ang1 levels were 28.4 ± 4.01 pg/mg in patients with bronchial asthma and 21.2 ± 5.21 pg/mg in healthy controls. Plasma Ang2 levels were 23.96 ± 1.38 pg/mg in patients with bronchial asthma compared with 36.8 ± 4.46 pg/mg in healthy controls (P = .010). The ratio of Ang2 to Ang1 was lower in patients with asthma than in control subjects. Plasma Ang1 concentrations were correlated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC), and plasma Ang2 levels were correlated with FEV1 percentage of predicted, FEV1/FVC, and total immunoglobulin E values. The ratio of Ang2 to Ang1 was correlated with FEV1 percentage of predicted and FEV1/FVC. Although plasma Ang1 levels tended to be lower in the exacerbated state than in the stable state in patients with asthma, Ang2 levels were higher in the exacerbated state than in the stable state in patients with asthma (P = .001). Plasma Ang2 levels were correlated with initial eosinophil proportions and initial neutrophil proportions. Plasma Ang2 levels and the ratio of Ang2 to Ang1 were correlated with blood eosinophil proportions in the exacerbated state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that circulating angiopoietins could be a useful marker of asthma exacerbation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Pureun-Haneul
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byeong-Gon
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: June-Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Do-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Sim
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Choon-Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jas877@schmc.ac.kr.
authors.forename: An-Soo
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D042683:Angiopoietin-1 / Q000097:blood; D042702:Angiopoietin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D042683:Angiopoietin-1; D042702:Angiopoietin-2; D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E