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RESPIRATORY MEDICINE (2000) 94, 992–996 doi:10.1053/rmed.2000.0890, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on Arterial and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid endothelin-1 concentration in

G. TRAKADA,S.TSOURAPIS,M.MARANGOS AND K. SPIROPOULOS

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of , University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece

Endothelins are a family of peptide mediators that have a number of biological properties, including the ability to act as bronchoconstrictors and vasoconstrictors of isolated airways and vessels. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is the more potent peptide compared with the other two peptides of the family. To examine a possible involvement of ET-1 in the pathogenesis of asthma, we measured arterial ET-1 levels in 11 patients with atopic asthma during attack and during remission, and in 11 healthy control subjects. We also performed fiberoptic bonchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to measure ET-1 levels in the 11 asthmatic patients during remission, and in the 11 healthy control subjects. ET-1 concentrations in arterial blood and in BAL were measured by a radioimmunoassay method. Arterial ET-1 levels were very significantly higher in asthma attack (3?67+0?51 pg ml71) and in asthma remission (2?65+10?62 pg ml71) compared with those of the healthy controls (1?37+0?14 pg ml71)(P50?001). Arterial ET-1 levels were also very significantly higher during asthma attack compared with those in asthma remission (P50?001). BAL ET-1 levels were significantly higher in asthma remission (0?73+0?53 pmol g71) compared with those of the healthy controls (0?16+0?02 pmol g71)(P50?05). No correlation was observed between arterial and BAL ET-1 levels, PaO2 and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that ET-1 contributes to the pathophysiology of asthma. However, it is likely that the true importance of this vasoconstrictor peptide will only be revealed by pharmacological studies with specific receptor antagonists.

Key words: asthma; endothelin-1; bronchoalveolar lavage; .

RESPIR.MED. (2000) 94, 992–996 # 2000 HARCOURT PUBLISHERS LTD

Introduction fibrotic factors including tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) (10) and fibronectin (11). Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways Previous studies have shown that hypoxia stimulates ET- characterized by bronchoconstriction and bronchial hyper- 1 secretion from endothelial cells (12,13). Another study reactivity. Airway wall thickening due to oedema and demonstrated that pulmonary alveolar hypoxia increases structural remodelling is likely to contribute to both these and plasma ET-1 levels in conscious experimental abnormalities and may be explained in part by the local animals and that this peptide increase is parallel to the generation and release of ET-1 in the airways (1). severity of arterial hypoxaemia (14). ET-1 is a vasoactive 21 amino acid peptide produced by The objectives of the study were to examine (i) the human bronchial epithelial cells (2), vascular endothelial arterial ET-1 concentration of asthmatic patients during cells (3) and inflammatory cells such as macrophages (4), severe attack and in remission and (ii) the BAL ET-1 mast cells (5) and alveolar epithelial cells (6). ET-1 produces concentration of asthmatic patients in remission. We prolonged and potent bronchoconstriction in asthma (7) compared the results with the arterial and BAL ET-1 and has mitogenic properties, with animal studies indicat- concentrations of normal subjects to establish a possible ing a role in the proliferation of cultured airway smooth role of ET-1 in the pathogenesis of asthma. muscle cells (8) and airway epithelial cells (9). ET-1 also acts as a co-mitogen with a number of other growth factors, and induces the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro- Material and methods Eleven healthy control subjects (seven males, four females) Received 8 February 2000 and accepted in revised form 30 May with mean age 22?27+2?97 years and 11 asthmatic patients 2000. Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr K. Spiropoulos, (six males, five females) with mean age 21?90+3?80 years Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonology, University of Patras were studied. The study was approved by the University Medical School, Patras, Greece 26 500. Fax: +30-61-993 982. Hospital of Patras Medical School Ethical Committee and

0954-6111/00/100992+05 $35?00/0 # 2000 HARCOURT PUBLISHERS LTD ENDOTHELIN-1 CONCENTRATION IN ASTHMA 993 all patients and healthy controls were asked for and gave received premedication with atropine (0?5 mg i.m.) and a informed consent. combination of nebulized salbutamol (2?5 mg) and ipra- All the asthmatic patients were admitted to our hospital tropium bromide (0?5 mg). Local anaesthesia of the upper between February 1995 and August 1998 with a severe and lower airways was achieved by topical application of asthma attack. They received the appropriate therapy with 4% and 1% lignocaine. Twenty-eight percent oxygen was 2-agonists, ipratropium bromide, corticosteroids and administered continuously with a Ventouri face mask and theophyllines during the exacerbation. the arterial O2 saturation was monitored throughout the The same asthmatic patients (in remission) and the procedure using a pulse oximeter (AMI system 7300, AMI, healthy control subjects presented 1–2 weeks before Broken Arrow, OK, U.S.A.). Oxygen administration for skin-prick testing and measurement of during bronchoscopy is in accordance with the current their bronchial reactivity by a modification of the method published guidelines (16) as the procedure causes a fall of of Chai et al. (15). For this visit, patients with asthma were PaO2 10–20 mmHg. A Pentax FB 19TX fibre optic asked to withhold short-acting 2-agonist therapy and bronchoscope was introduced using the nasal route and inhaled corticosteroids for a minimum of 6 h. None of the was wedged in a segmental of the right upper patients was receiving systemic corticosteroids. The atopic lobe for BAL. Lavage was performed using 120 ml of status was determined using the following common prewarmed 0?9% sodium chloride solution as six 20 ml aeroallergens; mixed grass pollens, dermatophagoides, aliquots with recovery by means of gentle suction following pterenyssinus, mixed leathers, cat fur and dog hair. The each aliquot. From the total sample of BAL fluid recovered 11 normal subjects (two atopic) had no history of 10 ml was withdrawn and mixed with 0?2 ml aprotin symptoms suggestive of asthma or rhinitis, were on no (10 000 Kallikrein units ml71) (Bayer Ltd, Newbury, Berk- regular medication and had normal spirometry shire, U.K.) in order to prevent degradation of ET by BAL (FEV1495% of predicted, PEFR 495% of predicted) fluid proteases. The samples was then immediately frozen and normal bronchial reactivity (cumulative PC20 methyl- and stored at 7808C before assay. BAL ET-1 concentra- choline 4 25 mg ml71). The patients with asthma were all tion was measured by radioimmunoassay as described atopic with a wheal reaction of diameter 2 mm or greater in previously. response to one or more of the above aeroallergens in the All data were expressed as the mean value +SD. The presence of negative saline and positive histamine controls. relation between several magnitudes were examined by 71 Their mean PC20 methylcholine was 0?56+0?27 mg ml . simple and multiple linear regression analysis. Differences The clinical and physiological details of the subjects between the various groups were analysed using the one (controls and patients) are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. way analysis of variance and student’s t-test. A P-value of Arterial blood for measuring partial pressure of oxygen 50?05 was considered to be statistically significant. (PaO2) and ET-1 concentration was collected from the asthmatic patients during the attack (on admission to the hospital) and during the remission 1–2 weeks before Results bronchoscopy. Arterial blood was also collected from the normal subjects. PaO2 was measured in a blood gas analyser The normal subjects had a significantly higher percent Eschweiler system C-100 (West Germany). predicted peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) than the patients Arterial blood for measuring ET-1 was collected in with asthma both during attack (P50?0001) and during chilled vacutainers containing disodium dihydrogen ethy- remission (P50?05). Also the normal subjects had signifi- lenediamine tetra-acetate dihydrate, and then centrifuged at cantly higher PaO2 than the patients with asthma both 30006g for 20 min to obtain plasma. The plasma was during attack (P50?001) and during remission (P50?001). aliquoted and frozen at 7808C until analysis. Arterial ET-1 All the normal subjects had a negative metacholine challenge levels were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Briefly, test. All the asthmatic patients had a positive metacholine the samples were extracted using C18 cartidges (SepPak, challenge test. The mean value +SD of the above magnitudes Waters, Missisauga, Ontario, Canada) activated by metha- are summarized in Tables 1, 2 and 3. nol, and 8 M urea and water and then eluted by 100% The normal subjects had significantly lower arterial ET-1 methanol. Samples and standards (synthetic endothelin-1; concentration (1?37+0?14 pg ml71) than the asthmatic Peptide Institute, Osaka, Japan) were reconstituted in assay patients both during attack (3?67+0?51 pg ml71, buffer and incubated with rabbit antiendothelin-1 anti- P50?001) and during remission (2?65+0?62 pg ml71, serum (Peninsula Laboratories, Belmont, CA, U.S.A.) at P50?001). Arterial ET-1 concentration was significantly 48C for 24 h. This was followed by the addition of 125I- higher in asthma attack (3?67+0?5pgml71) than in asthma labelled ET-1 (Amersham International Amersham, U.K.) remission (2?65+0?62 pg ml71, P50?001) (Figure 1). and a second 24 h incubation. Bound and free radioactivity The volume of BAL fluid recovered did not differ was separated by the second antibody method, and the significantly between normal subjects and asthmatic pa- gamma emission for the precipitate of antibody ET-1 tients (P50?05). The proportions of the original 120 ml complexes was counted using a gamma counter. The intra- instilled were 53?8+9?1 % and 52?4+7?2 % respectively. and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 10% and 13%, Table 4 presents the results for the differential cell counts. respectively. In the asthmatic patients there was a significant increase in Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was undertaken in accordance the percentage of eosinophils (P50?02) and epithelial cells with the current published guidelines (16). Briefly, subjects (P50?003) when compared with the control subjects. The 994 G. TRAKADA ET AL.

TABLE 1. Clinical and physiological parameters of the examined controls

71 Controls Age Sex PEFR (% pred) HR RR RC20 (mgml ) PaO2 mm Hg

1 18 M 110 72 14 4 25?098?3 2 23 M 101 75 18 4 25?096?2 3 25 F 106 80 12 4 25?0 100?1 4 19 M 99 67 17 4 25?098?2 5 24 F 95 81 18 4 25?098?0 6 20 F 103 88 16 4 25?095?1 7 20 F 107 73 18 4 25?095?5 8 26 M 111 75 18 4 25?094?7 9 21 M 116 76 16 4 25?099?2 10 27 M 95 67 16 4 25?099?4 11 22 M 92 69 17 4 25?099?7 Mean+SD 22?27+2?97 103?18+7?58 74?81+6?38 16?36+1?91 97?66+121?97

PEFR: peak expiratory flow rate; HR: heart rate; RR: respiratory rate.

TABLE 2. Clinical and physiological parameters of patients during asthmatic attack

Controls Age Sex PEFR (% pred) HR RR PaO2 mm Hg

1 19 F 48 125 30 58?3 2 25 M 45 136 33 59?8 3 21 M 50 138 31 46?7 4 23 M 51 128 35 39?7 5 18 F 46 140 30 57?5 6 19 F 42 135 37 60?1 7 26 M 48 170 35 48?2 8 28 M 45 140 32 52?3 9 26 M 43 131 32 57?3 10 18 F 47 135 40 58?1 11 18 F 40 140 40 58?8 Mean+SD 21?90+3?80 45?90+3?36 138+11?37 34?09+3?64 54?25+6?68

PEFR: peak expiratory flow rate; HR: heart rate; RR: respiratory rate.

TABLE 3. Spirometric values, PaO2 and metacholine test in patients with asthma, during remission

71 PEFR % pred PaO2 FEV1 FVC RC20 (mgml )

65 80?375840?78 70 82?781910?76 67 80?178850?58 78 86?780910?87 65 79?775870?16 79 90?182860?24 75 91?781840?25 90 92?886930?93 91 90?584940?78 90 94?581920?39 87 88?882900?45 77?90+10?34 87?08+5?49 80?45+3?80 88?81+4?60 0?56+0?27

FVC: forced vital capacity; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 sec. ENDOTHELIN-1 CONCENTRATION IN ASTHMA 995

TABLE 4. Comparison of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid differential cell counts in normal subjects and in asthmatic patients during remission expressed as median range Macrophages Lymphocytes Neutrophils Eosinophils Epithelial cells (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

Normal subjects 82?3 6?3 4?8 0 5?7 (58?7–92?5) (2?7–19?7) (0–18?4) (0–9?5) (1?2–13?6) Asthmatic patients during remission 85?9 6?5 0?4 1 2?6 (72?1–94?6) (2?2–16?8) (0–2?7) (0?4–8?9) (0?9–8?8)

FIG. 1. Arterial endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels of the controls FIG. 2. Broncho-alveolar lavage fluid endothelin-1 (ET-1) and asthmatics during attack and remission. Controls levels of the controls (&) and asthmatics ( ) in remission. (&); asthma attach ( ); asthma remission ( ).

BAL ET-1 concentration was significantly higher in been reviewed (17). Problems encountered include uncer- patients with asthma in remission (0?73+0?53 pg ml71) tainty regarding the site of , variable recovery of than in controls (0?16+0?02 pg ml71)(P50?05) (Figure 2). BAL fluid and variable dilution of mediators. However, No statistically significant correlation was observed be- despite these limitations, we have been able to demonstrate tween arterial and BPAL ET-1 concentration, PaO2 and that BAL fluid concentration of ET-1 is significantly higher PEFR. in subjects with asthma in remission, treated with bronch- odilators and inhaled corticosteroids, than in normal subjects. We have also demonstrated that arterial ET-1 Discussion concentration was significantly higher in asthmatic patients both during attack and during remission compared with In this study we measured the arterial ET-1 concentration normal subjects. 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