Egyptian Journal of Chest Disease and Tuberculosis (Jul 2017)

The study of fibulin-1 as a novel biomarker in bronchial asthma and its association with disease severity

  • Dalal El Giziry,
  • Nermine HossamEldin Zakaria,
  • Abeer Hassan Kassem,
  • Mona Mustafa Abdellatif

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcdt.2016.12.003
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 66, no. 3
pp. 385 – 389

Abstract

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A key feature of asthmatic airways is remodeling which involves thickening of the airway wall, altered deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass. Fibulin-1 (FBLN-1) assists in stabilizing the ECM which maintains airway function and structure by providing mechanical support in addition to constituting a dynamic and complex network that influences cellular function. The present study aimed at investigation of possible association between the fibulin-1 levels in asthmatic patients and its relation to asthma severity. Subjects: The study was carried out on forty five asthmatic patients and thirty control normal subjects age and sex matched. Methods: All subjects included in the present study were subjected to: full history taking, complete clinical examination, laboratory investigation and chest X-ray. Pulmonary function test and reversibility test. Serum samples from all studied patients and controls were taken for estimation of level of fibulin-1 Enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). All asthmatic patients will be examined with fibroptic bronchoscope and bronchoalveolar lavage were taken for estimation of level of fibulin-1. Results: The mean level of serum fibulin-1 in asthmatic patients was 244.10 ± 98.28 pg/ml in mild group, 217.97 ± 121.16 pg/ml in moderate group, 172.20 ± 53.85 pg/ml in severe group compared to a mean level of 187.23 ± 67.97 pg/ml in control group. It was found that fibulin-1 increased in serum of asthmatic patients than in controls with statistical significant difference (p < 0.05) but there was no significant relation to asthma severity. Estimation of BAL fibulin-1 in the three asthmatic groups, the mean level of BAL fibulin-1 was 507.0 ± 152.27 pg/ml in mild group, 692.81 ± 207.14 pg/ml in moderate group, 702.0–127.67 pg/ml in severe group. It was found that fibulin-1 was increased in BAL of severe degree bronchial asthma than in mild and moderate degrees with statistical significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This may highlights the potential role of fibulin-1 in airway wall remodeling.

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