Zhang Rui, Luo Wei, Liang Zhenyu, Tan Yaxia, Chen Ruchong, Lu Wenju, Zhong Nanshan
State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Mar;96(13):e6492. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000006492.
Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) is characterized by chronic cough and airway eosinophilic inflammation. Airway and systemic inflammation cytokine profile have not been comprehensively described in patients with NAEB.The aim of the study was to identify the cytokine profile in sputum and serum of NAEB patients. Furthermore, the relationship between cytokines and clinical features would be evaluated.Induced sputum and serum were collected from untreated NAEB patients and healthy subjects. The cytokine profile in sputum and serum was analyzed by a bead-based multiplex cytokine assay including 21 cytokines.The levels of EGF, eotaxin, GM-CSF, GRO, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, IP-10, MIP-1α, and TNF-α in sputum were significantly higher in NAEB patients than that in healthy subjects (all P < 0.05). Values of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of these cytokines were all above 0.750. The concentrations of eotaxin and IL-4 were positively correlated with sputum eosinophil percentage (r = 0.726, P = 0.002; r = 0.511, P = 0.043; respectively). No significant correlations between other cytokines (EGF, GM-CSF, GRO, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, IP-10, MIP-1α, and TNF-α) in sputum and sputum eosinophil percentage were found. The level of IL-4 in serum was slightly higher in NAEB patients than in healthy subjects. However, there was no correlation between serum IL-4 levels and sputum eosinophil percentage.We identified the cytokine profile in sputum and serum from NAEB patients. Sputum eotaxin and IL-4 could have the potential to become the biomarkers for NAEB and might be useful to assist in the diagnosis of NAEB.
非哮喘性嗜酸性粒细胞性支气管炎（NAEB）的特征为慢性咳嗽和气道嗜酸性粒细胞炎症。NAEB患者气道和全身炎症细胞因子谱尚未得到全面描述。本研究旨在确定NAEB患者痰液和血清中的细胞因子谱。此外，将评估细胞因子与临床特征之间的关系。从未经治疗的NAEB患者和健康受试者中收集诱导痰和血清。通过基于微珠的多重细胞因子检测分析痰液和血清中的细胞因子谱，该检测包括21种细胞因子。NAEB患者痰液中表皮生长因子（EGF）、嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子、粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子（GM-CSF）、生长调节致癌基因α（GRO）、干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、白细胞介素-4（IL-4）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、白细胞介素-17A、干扰素诱导蛋白10（IP-10）、巨噬细胞炎性蛋白-1α（MIP-1α）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平显著高于健康受试者（均P<0.05）。这些细胞因子的受试者工作特征曲线下面积（AUROC）值均高于0.750。嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子和IL-4浓度与痰液嗜酸性粒细胞百分比呈正相关（分别为r=0.726，P=0.002；r=0.511，P=0.043）。未发现痰液中其他细胞因子（EGF、GM-CSF、GRO、IFN-γ、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-17A、IP-10、MIP-1α和TNF-α）与痰液嗜酸性粒细胞百分比之间存在显著相关性。NAEB患者血清中IL-4水平略高于健康受试者。然而，血清IL-4水平与痰液嗜酸性粒细胞百分比之间无相关性。我们确定了NAEB患者痰液和血清中的细胞因子谱。痰液嗜酸性粒细胞趋化因子和IL-4有可能成为NAEB的生物标志物，可能有助于NAEB的诊断。
