Increased heat shock protein 70 levels in induced sputum and plasma correlate with severity of asthma patients

Abstract

Damage-associated molecular pattern molecules such as high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of our study was to examine the induced sputum and plasma concentrations of HSP70 in asthmatic patients to determine their relationship with airway obstruction. Thirty-four healthy controls and 56 patients with persistent bronchial asthma matched for gender and age were enrolled in this study. Spirometry measurements were performed before sputum induction. HSP70 levels in induced sputum and plasma were measured using the ELISA Kit. Sputum and plasma concentrations of HSP70 in asthmatics patients were significantly higher than that in control subjects (sputum, (0.88 ng/ml (0.27-1.88 ng/ml) versus 0.42 ng/ml (0.18-0.85 ng/ml), p < 0.001); plasma, (0.46 ng/ml (0.20-0.98 ng/ml) versus 0.14 ng/ml (0.11-0.37 ng/ml), p<0.001) and were significantly negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1 (percent predicted), and FEV1/FVC in all 90 participants and 56 patients with asthma. There were no significant differences in HSP70 levels between patients with eosinophilic and noneosinophilic asthma. HSP70 levels in plasma were positively correlated with neutrophil count, and HSP70 levels in induced sputum were positively correlated with lymphocyte count. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of sputum HSP70 were diseases and disease severity but not smoking, age, or gender, and independent predictors of plasma HSP70 were also diseases and disease severity. In conclusion, this study indicates that induced sputum and plasma HSP70 could serve as a useful marker for assessing the degree of airway obstruction in patients with asthma. However, further investigation is needed to establish the role of circulating and sputum HSP70 in the pathogenesis of asthma.

The Anisakis Transcriptome Provides a Resource for Fundamental and Applied Studies on Allergy-Causing Parasites

“…pegreffii was increased in L4s compared with L3s, which may be linked to a response of the parasite to the heat stress that immediately follows infection [ 32 ]. HSPs 70 from mites, black flies, midges and cockroaches are known allergens and mediators of allergic contact hypersensitivity [ 33 , 34 ]; in addition, levels of HSPs 70 are increased in the sputum and plasma of asthmatic patients compared with healthy controls [ 35 ], while antibodies against these proteins are associated with a number of immunological disorders, such as allergy to metals [ 36 ]. Based on this knowledge, it is therefore plausible that antibodies against Anisakis HSPs 70, whose expression is increased upon host infection [ 32 ], may play a key role in allergic responses to these parasites.…”

Roles of Heat Shock Proteins in Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, Human Inflammatory Diseases, and Cancer

“…Furthermore, an estimated 3.9 million South Africans were affected by asthma in 2012, accounting for 1.5% of deaths in this country every year [ 95 ]. Taking into account the cytoprotective roles of HSPs in response to cellular insults, several authors have reported the over-expression of Hsp70 in asthmatic patients [ 96 , 97 ]. Surprisingly, recent studies have suggested that intracellular synthesis of Hsp70 chaperones in airways and alveolar sacs of asthma patients correlate with the deleterious effects and severity of the disease, probably by forming part of the inflammatory complex, where it may up-regulate THP-1 synthesis by inducing CD23 expression in the Th2 environment [ 98 , 99 , 100 ].…”

HSPA2 Chaperone Contributes to the Maintenance of Epithelial Phenotype of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells but Has Non-Essential Role in Supporting Malignant Features of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, MCF7, and HeLa Cancer Cells

“…The activity of HSPA1 in the airway epithelium was linked to mucin secretion [ 32 , 33 ] and protection against genotoxic agents [ 34 ]. In turn, extracellularly-released HSPA1, as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule, has been attributed to the inflammatory responses of the airway epithelium [ 35 , 36 , 37 ] and the pathogenesis of severe respiratory diseases [ 35 , 38 ]. However, the question of why HBEC, as well as other somatic cells, need HSPA2, HSPA1, and other cytoplasmic/nuclear HSPA paralogs remains unanswered.…”