Back
Airway inflammation in subjects with gastro-oesophageal reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux-related asthma.
GE. Carpagnano, O. Resta, MT. Ventura, AC. Amoruso, G. Di Gioia, T. Giliberti, L. Refolo, MP. Foschino-Barbaro
J. Intern. Med. 2006 Mar;259(3):323-31.
PubMed: 16476110
Abstract
Asthma and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER) are both characterized by airway inflammation. The purposes of this work were (i) to study airway inflammation in patients troubled by gastro-oesophageal reflux (GER) and GER associated with asthma, (ii) to ascertain whether GER can aggravate asthma by exacerbating the pre-existing airway inflammation and oxidative stress and (iii) to establish the validity of analysing breath condensate and induced sputum when studying the airways of subjects affected by GER. PATIENT S AND METHODS: We enrolled 14 patients affected by mild asthma associated with GER (40 +/-12 years), nine with mild but persistent asthma (39 +/- 13 years), eight with GER (35 +/- 11 years) and 17 healthy subjects (37 +/- 9 years). Sputum cell counts and concentrations of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6 and 8-isoprostane were measured in breath condensate and supernatant. GER-related asthma is characterized by an eosinophilic inflammation, as determined by elevated concentrations of IL-4 in breath condensate and sputum supernatant, and by sputum cell analysis. GER alone presents a neutrophilic pattern of inflammation when determined by elevated concentrations of IL-6 in sputum cell analysis. A concomitant increase has been found in 8-isoprostane in GER associated (or not associated) with asthma. We conclude that GER is characterized by a neutrophilic airway inflammation and by increased oxidative stress. GER does not however aggravate pre-existing airway inflammation in asthma patients. Determinations of inflammatory and oxidant markers in the breath condensate of subjects with GER reflect these measured in the induced sputum.
Associated compounds:
Compound Name
with link to compound page |
Structure | Number of references |
---|---|---|
8-epi-PGF2alpha | 120 |