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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter June 1, 2005

Transcriptional down-regulation of neurotrophin-3 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  • David A. Groneberg , Christian Peiser , Paul R. Eynott , Pia Welker , Reinhard Erbes , Christian Witt , K. Fan Chung and Axel Fischer
From the journal Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) leads to progressive development of airflow limitation and is characterised by cough, mucus hypersecretion and inflammatory changes. These characteristic features of the disease may be modulated by neural mediators such as neurotrophins (NT). Here we examined the expression and transcriptional regulation of neurotrophins in bronchial biopsies of COPD patients and compared the data to control biopsies. Histology revealed characteristic changes in the COPD tissues, including remodelling of the epithelial lining. RT-PCR demonstrated the mRNA expression of neurotrophins in all biopsies. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the expression of different proteins. To assess changes in the transcriptional expression level, quantitative real-time PCR was carried out and revealed differential mRNA expression of neurotrophins, with marked down-regulation of NT-3 mRNA expression and constant levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived nerve factor (BDNF), and NT-4/5 mRNA expression. The present data on neurotrophin-specific transcriptional down-regulation of NT-3 in human COPD indicate a pathophysiological role for neurotrophins in COPD.

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Published Online: 2005-06-01
Published in Print: 2005-01-01

©2004 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

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