Yin Yang-1(YY-1) expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Yin Yang-1 (YY-1) is implicated in the pathogenesis of lung cancer which can be complicated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

The aim of the study was to investigate whether YY-1 is involved in the pathogenesis of IPF and whether represents a common pathogenetic pathway which could explain the coexistence of these disorders.

Lung tissue from 52 patients (37 with IPF and 15 controls) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 34 patients (25 with IPF and 9 controls) were studied and YY-1 mRNA expression was evaluated by real-time PCR.

YY-1 was expressed in 8% (3/37) of IPF patients and in 6% (1/15) of healthy controls in tissue samples. In addition, 12% (3/25) of IPF patients and 33% (3/9) of healthy controls have expressed YY-1 gene in BALF samples. However, no statistical significant difference in mRNA expression between patients and controls has been detected in both tissue and BAL fluid samples.

Our results do not support the hypothesis of YY-1 involvement in IPF. However, similar expression of YY-1 gene in two biological samples cannot exclude a possible role of this polymorphic gene in the pathway of IPF. Further studies in a larger scale of patients are needed.