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  • Title: [Relationship between airway remodeling and inflammatory mediators and cytokines in sputum in patients with bronchial asthma].
    Author: Cui M, Chen S, Qiu C, Tao W, Wu F, Tao Y.
    Journal: Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi; 2002 Jun; 25(6):344-6. PubMed ID: 12126558.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: To compare the thickness of subepithelial reticular basement membrane (BM) in asthmatic patients and healthy subjects and to compare the BM thickness to inflammatory mediators and cytokines. METHODS: Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsy was performed on 20 stable asthmatics and 10 normal subjects. The subepithelial reticular BM thickness was measured. Levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), interleukin 5 (IL-5 ), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha ) in sputum were measured by immunoassay. The relationship between ECP, IL-5, TNF alpha and BM thickness was estimated by the spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: The mean BM thickness was significantly higher in asthmatic patients (10.1 +/- 2.6) microm than in normal subjects (4.4 +/- 1.2) microm (P < 0.005). In asthmatic patients, the ECP (144 +/- 80) microgram/L and the IL-5 (17 +/- 4) microgram/L levels in sputum were positively correlated with BM thickness (r = 0.569, P < 0.005 and r = 0.466 P < 0.005, respectively ). Sputum TNF-alpha (53 +/- 36) microgram/L showed no significant correlation with BM thickness (r = 0.254 P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Airway remodeling is a distinctive and characteristic pathologic finding of asthma. Airway remodeling is related to levels of sputum ECP and IL-5, but not that of TNF-alpha.
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