Higher TGF-beta With Lower CD124 and TSLP, But No Difference in PAR-2 Expression in Bronchial Biopsy of Bronchial Asthma Patients in Comparison With COPD Patients
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma (BA) are 2 severe respiratory disorders with different predominated immunopathologies. There are several "novel molecules" from different families that are proposed as part of the etiopathogenesis of COPD and BA.
Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), thymic stromal lymphoprotein (TSLP), interleukin-4 and its receptor (CD124), Yin-Yang 1 (YY1), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) have been previously shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of both these diseases. We investigated PAR-2, TSLP, CD124 (interleukin-4R), TGF-beta, and YY1 immunohistochemical expression in endobronchial and transbronchial biopsies from 22 BA patients and 20 COPD patients.
Immunostaining for the above-mentioned antigens was quantified using a modified semiquantitative scoring system and statistically evaluated. The values of TGF-beta in the epithelial cells (P = 0.0007) and TGF-beta in the submucosa (P = 0.0075) were higher in the BA samples, whereas values of CD124 (P = 0.0015) and TSLP (P = 0.0106) were higher in the COPD samples.
No statistically significant differences between the groups were recorded for PAR-2 and YY1. Airway inflammatory reaction diversity in BA and COPD seems to be disease specific; however, there are also shared mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of both diseases.