transforming-growth-factor-beta and Respiratory-Insufficiency

The outbreak of the highly contagious and deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has posed a serious threat to public health across the globe, calling for the development of effective diagnostic markers and therapeutics. Here, we report a highly reliable severity diagnostic biomarker, acetylated 676th lysine transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein (TGFBIp K676Ac). TGFBIp K676Ac was consistently elevated in the blood of patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (

Topics: Acetylation; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Betacoronavirus; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Coronavirus Infections; COVID-19; Cytokine Release Syndrome; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Gene Expression; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lung; Lysine; NF-kappa B; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Primary Cell Culture; Prognosis; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Respiratory Insufficiency; SARS-CoV-2; Severity of Illness Index; Transforming Growth Factor beta

Mechanical ventilation (MV) with O(2)-rich gas (MV-O(2)) offers life-saving treatment for newborn infants with respiratory failure, but it also can promote lung injury, which in neonates translates to defective alveolar formation and disordered lung elastin, a key determinant of lung growth and repair. Prior studies in preterm sheep and neonatal mice showed that MV-O(2) stimulated lung elastase activity, causing degradation and remodeling of matrix elastin. These changes yielded an inflammatory response, with TGF-β activation, scattered elastic fibers, and increased apoptosis, culminating in defective alveolar septation and arrested lung growth. To see whether sustained inhibition of elastase activity would prevent these adverse pulmonary effects of MV-O(2), we did studies comparing wild-type (WT) and mutant neonatal mice genetically modified to express in their vascular endothelium the human serine elastase inhibitor elafin (Eexp). Five-day-old WT and Eexp mice received MV with 40% O(2) (MV-O(2)) for 24-36 h. WT and Eexp controls breathed 40% O(2) without MV. MV-O(2) increased lung elastase and MMP-9 activity, resulting in elastin degradation (urine desmosine doubled), TGF-β activation (pSmad-2 increased 6-fold), apoptosis (cleaved-caspase-3 increased 10-fold), and inflammation (NF-κB activation, influx of neutrophils and monocytes) in lungs of WT vs. unventilated controls. These changes were blocked or blunted during MV-O(2) of Eexp mice. Scattered lung elastin and emphysematous alveoli observed in WT mice after 36 h of MV-O(2) were attenuated in Eexp mice. Both WT and Eexp mice showed defective VEGF signaling (decreased lung VEGF-R2 protein) and loss of pulmonary microvessels after lengthy MV-O(2), suggesting that elafin's beneficial effects during MV-O(2) derived primarily from preserving matrix elastin and suppressing lung inflammation, thereby enabling alveolar formation during MV-O(2). These results suggest that degradation and remodeling of lung elastin can contribute to defective lung growth in response to MV-O(2) and might be targeted therapeutically to prevent ventilator-induced neonatal lung injury.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis; Elafin; Endothelium, Vascular; Female; Humans; Immunoblotting; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Macrophages; Male; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Monocytes; Neutrophils; Oxygen; Pancreatic Elastase; Pneumonia; Pulmonary Alveoli; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Insufficiency; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2; Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury

IL-13 is a major stimulator of inflammation and tissue remodeling at sites of Th2 inflammation. In Th2-dominant inflammatory disorders such as asthma, IL-11 is simultaneously induced. However, the relationship(s) between IL-11 and IL-13 in these responses has not been defined, and the role(s) of IL-11 in the genesis of the tissue effects of IL-13 has not been evaluated. We hypothesized that IL-11, signaling via the IL-11Ralpha-gp130 receptor complex, plays a key role in IL-13-induced tissue responses. To test this hypothesis we compared the expression of IL-11, IL-11Ralpha, and gp130 in lungs from wild-type mice and transgenic mice in which IL-13 was overexpressed in a lung-specific fashion. We simultaneously characterized the effects of a null mutation of IL-11Ralpha on the tissue effects of transgenic IL-13. These studies demonstrate that IL-13 is a potent stimulator of IL-11 and IL-11Ralpha. They also demonstrate that IL-13 is a potent stimulator of inflammation, fibrosis, hyaluronic acid accumulation, myofibroblast accumulation, alveolar remodeling, mucus metaplasia, and respiratory failure and death in mice with wild-type IL-11Ralpha loci and that these alterations are ameliorated in the absence of IL-11Ralpha. Lastly, they provide insight into the mechanisms of these processes by demonstrating that IL-13 stimulates CC chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, mucin genes, and gob-5 and stimulates and activates TGF-beta1 via IL-11Ralpha-dependent pathways. When viewed in combination, these studies demonstrate that IL-11Ralpha plays a key role in the pathogenesis of IL-13-induced inflammation and remodeling.

Topics: Animals; Chemokines, CC; Fibroblasts; Hyaluronic Acid; Hyperoxia; Inflammation; Interleukin-11; Interleukin-11 Receptor alpha Subunit; Interleukin-13; Interleukin-13 Receptor alpha1 Subunit; Lung; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Metaplasia; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Mucins; Protein Subunits; Pulmonary Alveoli; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Receptors, Interleukin; Receptors, Interleukin-11; Receptors, Interleukin-13; Respiratory Insufficiency; Signal Transduction; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

IL-13 stimulates inflammatory and remodeling responses and contributes to the pathogenesis of human airways disorders. To further understand the cellular and molecular events that mediate these responses, we characterized the effects of IL-13 on monocyte chemotactic proteins (MCPs) and compared the tissue effects of transgenic IL-13 in mice with wild-type (+/+) and null (-/-) CCR2 loci. Transgenic IL-13 was a potent stimulator of MCP-1, -2, -3, and -5. This stimulation was not specific for MCPs because macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MIP-2, MIP-3alpha, thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine, thymus-expressed chemokine, eotaxin, eotaxin 2, macrophage-derived chemokines, and C10 were also induced. The ability of IL-13 to increase lung size, alveolar size, and lung compliance, to stimulate pulmonary inflammation, hyaluronic acid accumulation, and tissue fibrosis, and to cause respiratory failure and death were markedly decreased, whereas mucus metaplasia was not altered in CCR2(-/-) mice. CCR2 deficiency did not decrease the basal or IL-13-stimulated expression of target matrix metalloproteinases or cathepsins but did increase the levels of mRNA encoding alpha1-antitrypsin, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, -2, and -4, and secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor. In addition, the levels of bioactive and total TGF-beta(1) were decreased in lavage fluids from IL-13 transgenic mice with -/- CCR2 loci. These studies demonstrate that IL-13 is a potent stimulator of MCPs and other CC chemokines and document the importance of MCP-CCR2 signaling in the pathogenesis of the IL-13-induced pulmonary phenotype.

Topics: Animals; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cells, Cultured; Chemokine CCL2; Chemokines, CC; Endopeptidases; Hyaluronic Acid; Inflammation; Interleukin-13; Lung; Lung Compliance; Metaplasia; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Mink; Mucus; Phenotype; Protease Inhibitors; Pulmonary Alveoli; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Receptors, CCR2; Receptors, Chemokine; Respiratory Insufficiency; Respiratory Mucosa; RNA, Messenger; Total Lung Capacity; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

Polymorphisms in transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) associated with variations in cytokine levels are linked to fibrosis in a number of tissues. However, the contribution of this cytokine to organ fibrosis in patients with cystic fibrosis is presently unclear. This study was undertaken to examine the association between TGF-beta(1) gene polymorphisms and the development of pulmonary dysfunction in patients with cystic fibrosis.. Polymorphisms in the TGF-beta(1) gene defining amino acids of codons 10 and 25 were determined by ARMS-PCR using DNA stored on 171 Caucasian patients who were homozygous for the DeltaF508 mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Clinical information on the patients was obtained from medical records.. Patients with cystic fibrosis of a TGF-beta(1) high producer genotype for codon 10 had more rapid deterioration in lung function than those with a TGF-beta(1) low producer genotype. The relative risk of accelerated decline in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) to 50% predicted and forced vital capacity (FVC) to 70% predicted of patients with a high producer genotype was 1.74 (95% CI 1.11 to 2. 73) compared with 1.95 (95% CI 1.24 to 3.06) for those with a low producer genotype.. TGF-beta(1) genotypes may have a role in mediating pulmonary dysfunction in patients with cystic fibrosis. Further work is required to determine whether inhibition of TGF-beta(1) activity in these patients may slow disease progression.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Cystic Fibrosis; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Genotype; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Genetic; Respiratory Insufficiency; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Vital Capacity