Serum Vanin-1: a potential diagnostic biomarker linked to oxidative stress imbalance in asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, underscoring the urgent need for reliable diagnostic biomarkers. Vanin-1, a well-recognized sensor of oxidative stress, has been implicated in various inflammatory disorders; however, its diagnostic value in asthma remains to be fully elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate serum Vanin-1 levels in asthmatic patients and explore their correlations with systemic oxidative stress biomarkers-malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH)-as well as inflammatory cytokines, pulmonary function parameters, and to assess its diagnostic potential.

A case-control study was conducted, enrolling 169 participants: 129 asthmatic patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Serum concentrations of Vanin-1, MDA, GSH, cytokines (IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ), and total IgE were measured. Pulmonary function tests were also performed. Statistical correlations were analyzed using Spearman's rank test, and diagnostic efficacy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Compared with healthy controls, asthmatic patients exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of Vanin-1 (7.54 ± 1.62 ng/mL vs. 4.59 ± 1.30 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and MDA [0.11 (0.09, 0.12) nmol/mg protein vs. 0.08 (0.06, 0.10) nmol/mg protein, P < 0.001], but markedly reduced GSH [1.44 (1.16, 1.57) nmol/mg protein vs. 2.06 (1.65, 2.37) nmol/mg protein, P < 0.001]. Vanin-1 level was positively correlated with MDA (ρ = 0.342, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with GSH (ρ = - 0.329, P < 0.001). No significant correlations were observed between Vanin-1 and IL-4, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-γ, eosinophil counts, or pulmonary function indices. ROC analysis demonstrated that Vanin-1 had robust diagnostic utility, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.884 (95% CI: 0.832-0.936, P < 0.001). At an optimal cutoff of 6.12 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity were 69.0% and 92.5%, respectively.

Serum Vanin-1 is significantly elevated in asthmatic patients and is closely associated with an oxidative stress imbalance. It may serve as a potential biomarker for distinguishing asthma patients from healthy individuals.