The relationship between the expression of IL-13 and periostin and the severity of airway remodeling in asthmatic patients

Abstract

Objective By detecting the expression of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and periostin in the airway of asthmatic patients, the pathological changes and pulmonary functions of airway tissues in asthmatic patients were evaluated, and the role of IL-13 and periostin airway remodeling in bronchial asthma was preliminarily explored. Methods The bronchial tissues adjacent to tumor nest were obtained from 12 patients with lung cancer complicated with bronchial asthma (asthmatic group) and 12 lung cancer patients without bronchial asthma (non-asthmatic group) after lung cancer resection. Pulmonary function was measured for all subjects before surgery. Pathological changes of airway tissues and degree of airway remodeling were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, masson′s trichrome staining, and periodic acid-silver methenamine (PASM) staining of paraffin-embedded sections. The expression of IL-13 and periostin in bronchial tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results Values of the forced expiratory volume in 1 second of the predicted value (FEV1% pred) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC%) in asthmatic patients were significantly decreased compared with the non-asthmatic patients (P<0.05), indicating that lung function was impaired in asthmatic patients. There was more severe airway remodeling representing as thickening of basement membranes, collagen deposition, and increasing of goblet cells and fibroblasts in asthmatic patients than in non-asthmatic patients (all P<0.05). The expression of IL-13 and periostin were higher in asthmatic tissues than in non-asthmatic tissues (P<0.05). The immunohistochemical expression of IL-13 and periostin in bronchial tissues were positively correlated with the degree of airway remodeling in asthmatic patients, and the expression of IL-13 and periostin in bronchial tissues were positively correlated with each other. Conclusions The expression of IL-13 and periostin were increased in bronchial tissue in patients with asthma. They work together to promote the occurrence of airway remodeling, which eventually lead to a decline in lung function. Key words: Asthma; Interleukin-13; Cell adhesion molecules; Airway remodeling