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Compartment differences of inflammatory activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Jie Ji1, Ida von Schéele, Jan Bergström
1Lung and Airway Research, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden. jie.ji@ki.se.
Respiratory Research
|August 27, 2014
Summary
Saliva analysis may help assess chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) activity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression is altered in moderate to severe COPD, impacting inflammatory responses across different bodily fluids.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Immunology
- Oral Health
Background:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves local and systemic inflammation.
- Understanding inflammatory interactions across different body compartments in COPD is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay of inflammatory markers in saliva, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, and serum in smokers with and without COPD.
- To explore the potential of saliva as a non-invasive biomarker for COPD disease activity.
Main Methods:
- Spirometry and dental examinations were performed on healthy controls, smokers without COPD, and smokers with COPD.
- Saliva, induced sputum, BAL fluid, and serum were collected for analysis.
- Inflammatory markers were quantified using ELISA, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR.
Main Results:
- In COPD smokers, lung function negatively correlated with saliva interleukin-8 (IL-8) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9).
- Saliva IL-8 and MMP-9 positively correlated with periodontal disease in non-smokers.
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were lower in smokers compared to non-smokers across saliva, serum, and BAL fluid.
- Correlations between soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR1, sTNFR2) were observed in sputum, BAL fluid, and serum.
- Sputum IL-8/IL-6 correlated with sTNFR1/sTNFR2 in non-smokers and COPD patients.
Conclusions:
- Saliva is a promising, convenient medium for assessing COPD disease activity.
- Moderate to severe COPD is associated with altered TNF-α expression in protein and mRNA forms across multiple compartments.
- The shedding of TNFR1 and TNFR2 appears to be regulated consistently, regardless of airflow limitation.
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