scholarly journals Current smoking alters phospholipid- and surfactant protein A levels in small airway lining fluid: An explorative study on exhaled breath

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253825
Author(s):  
Emilia Viklund ◽  
Björn Bake ◽  
Laith Hussain-Alkhateeb ◽  
Hatice Koca Akdeva ◽  
Per Larsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Surfactant Protein ◽  
Small Airway ◽  
Surfactant Protein A ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Small Airways ◽  
Current Smoking ◽  
Never Smokers

Small airways are difficult to access. Exhaled droplets, also referred to as particles, provide a sample of small airway lining fluid and may reflect inflammatory responses. We aimed to explore the effect of smoking on the composition and number of exhaled particles in a smoker-enriched study population. We collected and chemically analyzed exhaled particles from 102 subjects (29 never smokers, 36 former smokers and 37 current smokers) aged 39 to 83 years (median 63). A breathing maneuver maximized the number exhaled particles, which were quantified with a particle counter. The contents of surfactant protein A and albumin in exhaled particles was quantified with immunoassays and the contents of the phospholipids dipalmitoyl- and palmitoyl-oleoyl- phosphatidylcholine with mass spectrometry. Subjects also performed spirometry and nitrogen single breath washout. Associations between smoking status and the distribution of contents in exhaled particles and particle number concentration were tested with quantile regression, after adjusting for potential confounders. Current smokers, compared to never smokers, had higher number exhaled particles and more surfactant protein A in the particles. The magnitude of the effects of current smoking varied along the distribution of each PEx-variable. Among subjects with normal lung function, phospholipid levels were elevated in current smokers, in comparison to no effect of smoking on these lipids at abnormal lung function. Smoking increased exhaled number of particles and the contents of lipids and surfactant protein A in the particles. These findings might reflect early inflammatory responses to smoking in small airway lining fluid, also when lung function is within normal limits.

scholarly journals Increased myofibroblasts in the small airways and relation to remodelling and functional changes in smokers and COPD patients: potential role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

2021 ◽  
pp. 00876-2020
Author(s):  
Mathew Suji Eapen ◽  
Wenying Lu ◽  
Tillie L. Hackett ◽  
Gurpreet Kaur Singhera ◽  
Malik Q. Mahmood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Small Airway ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Small Airways ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Copd Patients ◽  
Normal Lung Function

IntroductionPrevious reports showed epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) as an active process that contributes to small airway (SA) fibrotic pathology. Myofibroblasts are highly active pro-fibrotic cells that secrete excessive and altered extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we relate SA myofibroblast presence with airway remodelling, physiology and EMT activity in smokers and COPD patients.MethodsLung resections from non-smoker controls (NC), normal lung function smokers (NLFS), COPD current (CS) and ex-smokers (ES) were stained with anti-human αSMA, collagen 1, and fibronectin. αSMA+ive cells were computed in reticular basement membrane (Rbm), lamina propria (LP), and adventitia and presented per mm of Rbm and mm2 of LP. Collagen-1 and fibronectin are presented as a percentage change from normal. All analysis including airway thickness were measured using Image-pro-plus 7.0.ResultsWe found an increase in sub-epithelial LP (especially) and adventitia thickness in all pathological groups compared to NC. Increases in αSMA+ive myofibroblasts were observed in sub-epithelial Rbm, LP, and adventitia in both the smoker and COPD groups compared to NCs. Further, the increase in the myofibroblast population in the LP was strongly associated with decrease in lung function, LP thickening, increase in ECM protein deposition, and finally EMT activity in epithelial cells.ConclusionsThis is the first systematic characterisation of small airway myofibroblasts in COPD based on their localisation, with statistically significant correlations between them and other pan-airway structural, lung function, and ECM protein changes. Finally, we suggest that EMT may be involved in such changes.

scholarly journals Surfactant Protein A in particles in exhaled air (PExA), bronchial lavage and bronchial wash - a methodological comparison

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie F. Behndig ◽  
Ekaterina Mirgorodskaya ◽  
Anders Blomberg ◽  
Anna-Carin Olin
Keyword(s):  
Protein A ◽  
Surfactant Protein ◽  
Surfactant Protein A ◽  
Normal Lung ◽  
Albumin Concentration ◽  
Sterile Saline ◽  
Normal Lung Function ◽  
Exhaled Air ◽  
Bronchial Wash ◽  
Golden Standard

Abstract Introduction At present, there are few methods available for monitoring respiratory diseases affecting distal airways. Bronchoscopy is the golden standard for sampling the lower airways. The recently developed method for collecting non-volatile material from exhaled air – PExA (Particles in Exhaled air) is a promising new tool, but no direct comparison between the two methods has yet been performed. The aim of the present study was to compare sampling using PExA with bronchial wash (BW) representing the larger more proximal airways and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) representing the distal airways. Methods 15 healthy non-smoking subjects (7 female/8 male), age 28 ± 4 years, with normal lung function were included in the study. PExA-sampling (2 × 250 ng particles) and bronchoscopy with BW (2 × 20 ml) and BAL (3 × 60 ml sterile saline) was performed. Albumin and Surfactant Protein A (SP-A) were analyzed with ELISA, and analyses of correlation were performed. Results A significant association was found between BAL-fluid albumin and PExA-albumin (rs:0.65 p = 0.01). There was also an association between SP-A in PExA and BAL, when corrected for albumin concentration (rs:0.61, p = 0.015). When correlating concentrations of albumin and SP-A in bronchial wash and PExA respectively, no associations were found. Conclusions This is the first direct comparison between the bronchoscopy-based BW/BAL-fluids and material collected using the PExA methodology. Both albumin and albumin-corrected SP-A concentrations were significantly associated between BAL and PExA, however, no such association was found in either marker between BW and PExA. These results indicate that the PExA method samples the distal airways. PExA is thus considered a new promising non-invasive assessment for monitoring of the distal airways.

Lung function decline in COPD in relation to MMP-12 and surfactant protein A

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelie Behndig ◽  
Robert Linder ◽  
Jamshid Pourazar ◽  
Anne Lindberg ◽  
Anders Blomberg
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Surfactant Protein ◽  
Surfactant Protein A ◽  
Lung Function Decline
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