“Smoke, Choline-Acetyl-Transferase, Muscarinic Receptors and fibroblast proliferation in COPD

Acetylcholine (ACh), synthesized by choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and muscarinic M1, M2, and M3 receptors (MRs) are involved in fibroblast proliferation. We evaluated ChAT, MRs, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and nuclear factor (NF) κB activation in lung fibroblasts from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), control smokers, and controls. Human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL-1) stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and cigarette smoke extracts (CSEs) were evaluated for ChAT and MR expression. We tested the effects of ACh on fibroblast proliferation and its ability to bind fibroblasts from patients with COPD, control s…

Innate Immunity Responses Are Differently Altered in Central and Distal Airways of COPD Patients.

Role of chronic exsposure to cigarette smoke on endoglin/CD105 expression in airway epithelium.

Dysregulation of airway epithelial cell function related to cigarette smoke exposure plays an important role in the pathophysiology of COPD and is associated to tissue damage and disease severity. CD105 is a component of the receptor complex of TGF-β, a pleiotropic cytokine involved in cellular proliferation, differentiation and migration. CD105 regulates the expression of different components of the extracellular matrix suggesting a role of CD105 in cellular transmigration and remodeling processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of endoglin/CD105 in airway epithelium of COPD patients and its involvement in tissue remodeling and progression of COPD. We evalua…

IL-17 and Th17-cells as markers of disease progression in pediatric allergic diseases. A therapeutic approach in an “in vitro” model

Rationale: Th17 cells and IL-17 play a role in allergy development and progression. Objective: To investigate whether IL-17-producing Th17 cells characterized systemic and airway inflammation in children with concomitant allergic rhinitis and asthma and whether Budesonide (Bud) and Formoterol (Form), alone or in combination, might provide a therapeutic strategy for controlling the inflammatory events associated with IL-17. Methods: We tested IL-17 levels in plasma (P), nasal wash (NW) and induced sputum (IS) from healthy (HC) and asthmatic children (intermittent=IA or mild-moderate=MA) with concomitant rhinitis (intermittent=IR or persistent=PR). Then we tested the expression of intracellul…