Ex vivo sputum analysis reveals impairment of protease-dependent mucus degradation by plasma proteins in acute asthma.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Airway mucus plugs, composed of mucin glycoproteins mixed with plasma proteins, are an important cause of airway obstruction in acute severe asthma, and they are poorly treated with current therapies.

Objectives

To investigate mechanisms of airway mucus clearance in health and in acute severe asthma.

Methods

We collected airway mucus from patients with asthma and nonasthmatic control subjects, using sputum induction or tracheal aspiration. We used rheological methods complemented by centrifugation-based mucin size profiling and immunoblotting to characterize the physical properties of the mucus gel, the size profiles of mucins, and the degradation products of albumin in airway mucus.

Measurements and main results

Repeated ex vivo measures of size and

SUBMITTER: Innes AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2724713 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature