American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2014
MiR-31 Dysregulation in Cystic Fibrosis Airways Contributes to Increased Pulmonary Cathepsin S Production.
Cathepsin S (CTSS) activity is increased in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This activity contributes to lung inflammation via degradation of antimicrobial proteins, such as lactoferrin and members of the β-defensin family. ⋯ The miR-31/IRF-1/CTSS pathway may play a functional role in the pathogenesis of CF lung disease and may open up new avenues for exploration in the search for an effective therapeutic target.
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Jul 2014
Untargeted Lipidomic Analysis in COPD: Uncovering Sphingolipids.
Cigarette smoke is the major risk factor in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lipidomics is a novel and emerging research field that may provide new insights in the origins of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as COPD. ⋯ Expression of lipids from the sphingolipid pathway is higher in smokers with COPD compared with smokers without COPD. Considering their potential biologic properties, they may play a role in the pathogenesis of COPD.