Nuclear HSP90 and HSP70 in COPD patients treated with formoterol or formoterol and corticosteroids

Abstract

Abstract Objective Heat shock proteins assist cellular protein folding and are required for the normal activity of steroid receptors. In this study we assessed nuclear HSP90 and HSP70 proteins and mRNA levels in cells isolated from induced sputum of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated for 4 weeks with formoterol (F) or formoterol+budesonide (F/ICS). Methods Nuclear heat shock protein levels were assessed by Western blot and specific mRNAs were quantified in cell lysates using qRT-PCR. Results Both HSP90 and HSP70 protein levels were higher in the F/ICS-treated patients in comparison with the F-treated group (by 31%, P Conclusions It is possible that increased nuclear heat shock proteins may play a role in the attenuation of the response to glucocorticoids in COPD patients.

Keywords

• COPD
• formoterol
• glucocorticoids
• HSP70
• HSP90