Increased MCP-1 and MIP-1β in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of chronic bronchitics

Abstract

CC-chemokines are chemotactic factors expressed in a wide range of cell types and tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of CC-chemokines in the airways inflammation of patients affected by chronic bronchitis. The study evaluated, with an immunoassay, the concentrations of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β), in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 12 smokers affected by chronic bronchitis and 14 smoking, 15 nonsmoking and six exsmoking healthy subjects. MCP-1 was significantly increased in patients with chronic bronchitis ((mean ± SD) 10.75 ± 4.04 pg mL-1) and in the smoker control group (12.39 ± 5.87 pg mL-1) compared with healthy exsmokers: (7.12 ± 1.60 pg mL-1, p=0.035 and p=0.045, respectively) and nonsmokers (6.41 ± 3.87 pg mL-1, p=0.003 and p=0.006, respectively). MIP-1α concentrations were undetectable. A significant difference was observed in MIP-1-β levels in BALF of chronic bronchitics (8.11 ± 5.97 pg · mL-1) compared to smoker (3.57 ± 2.90 pg mL-1, p=0.018), exsmoker (3.43 ± 0.68 pg mL-1, p=0.025) and nonsmoker (3.39 ± 3.73 pg mL-1, p=0.008) control groups. A negative correlation was observed between MIP- 1β levels and forced expiratory volume in one second values (p=-0.64, p=0.035) in chronic bronchitics. An increase of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 is related to smoking habit and seems consistent with a lung inflammatory reaction. On the contrary, an increase in macrophage inflammatory protein-1β levels is restricted to smokers developing chronic obstructive pulmonary, disease. These data suggest a role of CC-chemokines in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis.