Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034069 (pulmonary fibrosis)
 7,050 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The etiology of pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear, and at present there are no definite biochemical markers of its activity. We measured serum and BALF levels of type III procollagen N-terminal peptide (P-III-P), prolyl hydroxylase (PH), and laminin P1 in patients who had undergone radiotherapy for malignant neoplasms, and investigated their value as biochemical markers in a model of pulmonary fibrosis. The following results were obtained: 1) Patients with abnormal liver function had significantly higher serum P-III-P levels and showed a tendency to have higher serum PH levels. If P-III-P or PH are to be used as markers of pulmonary fibrosis, the effect of liver function must be taken into consideration; however, no significant difference was detected with respect to laminin P1 levels. 2) Serum P-III-P levels were significantly elevated by radiotherapy. 3) Laminin P1 levels rose in a similar manner to P-III-P levels after radiotherapy, but no significant change was detected. 4) In most cases, the levels of all markers in BALF were below the threshold of detection, nevertheless all three markers were elevated in a patient who developed diffuse radiation pneumonitis during radiotherapy. Increases in the lymphocyte count were found in BALF of this patient. 5) BALF hyaluronic acid levels were negative in the 3 cases assayed. 6) A significant correlation between P-III-P and laminin P1 in serum was shown, but no significant correlations could be found between the other combinations of markers in serum. Thus it appears that serum P-III-P and laminin P1 are valid biochemical markers of pulmonary fibrosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:[Type III procollagen N-terminal peptide (P-III-P, prolyl hydroxylase (PH), and laminin P1 levels in serum and BALF of radiotherapy patients]. 132 Jul 8

Pulmonary fibrosis is a well-known toxic response to bleomycin treatment. Here we demonstrate the direct effects of bleomycin on lung fibroblasts that resulted in a marked increase of collagen synthesis as compared with total noncollagen protein synthesis. Bleomycin treatment of rat lung fibroblast cultures resulted in an increase of total cellular transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) mRNA and increased secretion of TGF-beta protein into the conditioned media. beta 2-Microglobulin was measured as an mRNA that did not increase with bleomycin treatment. The bleomycin-induced increase of TGF-beta mRNA was decreased by cells cultured in the presence of either cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, or 2-mercapto-1-(beta-4-pyridethyl) benzimidazole, an inhibitor of RNA synthesis. To assess the mechanism underlying increased steady-state mRNA levels, the nuclear fraction was isolated from bleomycin-treated cells and the TGF-beta transcripts were determined. Transcription of TGF-beta mRNA was increased 12 h after bleomycin treatment, whereas the transcription of type I procollagen, type III procollagen, and beta-actin mRNAs were increased after 48 h of bleomycin treatment. beta 2-Microglobulin mRNA synthesis was not increased within this time frame. These results suggest bleomycin regulation of TGF-beta at both the mRNA and protein levels. Rats lung fibroblasts were separated by cell sorting into two subpopulations. One population of fibroblasts demonstrated increased procollagen type I mRNAs, whereas fibroblasts in the other population had increased procollagen type III mRNA. Following bleomycin treatment, TGF-beta mRNA was shown to be located more prominently in those fibroblasts that contain primarily collagen type I mRNAs.
 ...
PMID:Bleomycin regulation of transforming growth factor-beta mRNA in rat lung fibroblasts. 137 88

It is generally accepted that there are differences among workers in susceptibility towards the effects of mineral dusts such as silica, coal dust and asbestos. Basic research continues to find new factors involved in the process of pulmonary fibrosis caused by these minerals. In this paper, two hypotheses implicitly generated by recent findings were tested in two case-control studies among coal miners: generation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) by blood monocytes of miners with coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and serum type III procollagen peptide (PIIIP) in CWP. Our data indicate that both parameters can be used as biological markers for early diagnosis of CWP. A follow-up study is described in which the predictive power of increased TNF release and serum PIIIP as risk factor to develop lung fibrosis will be assessed.
 ...
PMID:Molecular basis for differences in susceptibility to coal workers' pneumoconiosis. 147 Dec 34

Fifty-six males workers exposed to rock wool during production, and 20 referents were examined. Exposure, evaluated by personal sampling, ranged from 0.05 to 0.74 fibres/ml (median 0.15). The subjects underwent a medical examination, chest X-ray according to ILO recommendations and pulmonary function tests. In all subjects the serum levels of type III procollagen N-terminal propeptide (PIIINPs) were determined. No evidence of pulmonary fibrosis, nor work-related lung diseases were observed. PIIINPs mean values in the exposed (9.8 ng/ml; 2.8 S.D.) were slightly higher, but not significantly different when compared to referents (8.5 ng/ml; 2.5 S.D.). No significant correlation between PIIINPs and rock wool exposure (both airborne levels and exposure duration) was observed. Furthermore, peptide levels were not related to pulmonary function test results. Our results suggest that occupational exposure to rock wool fibres lower than 0.75 fibres/ml for less than 20 years does not induce definite cases of pulmonary fibrosis nor an increase of type III collagen synthesis in the lung.
 ...
PMID:[The determination of serum amino-terminal procollagen type-III propeptide (PIIINP) in occupational exposure to rock wool fiber]. 163 Apr 1

A comparative clinical study examined the preventive effect of ticlopidine hydrochloride (hereinafter referred to as ticlopidine, anti-platelet drug) on Peplomycin sulfate (hereinafter referred to as Peplomycin) pulmonary fibrosis. In clinical evaluation, pulmonary function (PaO2, DLco) and biological fibrosis markers (angiotensin I converting enzyme, type III procollagen peptide, phospholipid) were measured. PaO2 and DLco using ticlopidine showed improvement, but statistical significance was not observed. Changes in biological fibrosis markers due to Peplomycin administration were observed in accordance with earlier experiments. Importantly however, the variance of type III procollagen peptide in the ticlopidine group was significantly suppressed (p less than 0.10). As a result, ticlopidine has the potential to prevent Peplomycin pulmonary side effects during clinical use.
 ...
PMID:[Preventive effect of ticlopidine on peplomycin pulmonary fibrosis]. 169 Dec 53

The N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen (PIIIP) and fibronectin (FBN), two markers possibly implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and in serum of 27 subjects with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos, in 10 sarcoidosis patients and in 7 healthy controls. At the same time, the study of the cell populations and asbestos bodies count in BAL were also performed. In BAL of sarcoidosis patients the mean concentration of PI-IIIP was higher compared to that of the other two groups, and the difference was significant compared with the healthy controls. Among the group of asbestos workers, both PIIIP and FBN were significantly higher in subjects with radiological signs of pulmonary asbestosis compared with those with no signs of asbestosis. On the basis of BAL cytology, the asbestos-exposed were divided into two subgroups, with or without signs of alveolitis: the mean concentrations of BAL PIIIP was significantly higher in the subgroup with alveolitis. Moreover, in this subgroup there was a positive correlation between total number of cells and PIIIP, and between the number of asbestos bodies and PIIIP in BAL. Serum PIIIP values did not differ significantly among the various groups, with the exception of higher values in sarcoidosis patients. The results of this study seem to confirm the usefulness of PIIIP and FBN determinations in BAL, as indicators of the activity of the fibrotic process which, in particular cases, might also assume a prognostic significance.
 ...
PMID:[Markers of fibrogenesis in bronchoalveolar lavage and in serum of workers exposed to asbestos]. 179 68

Procollagen III aminopeptide (P-III-P), a peptide released during the conversion of type III procollagen to type III collagen, is considered a potential marker of fibroblast activity in a variety of pulmonary and extrapulmonary diseases. The aim of the present article was to investigate the levels of P-III-P in serum samples (sP-III-P) from a large number of sarcoid patients, in particular looking at its relationship with other markers of disease activity and its presumed role as a marker of pulmonary fibrosis. sP-III-P has been radioimmunoassayed in an overall series of 57 patients and the levels were higher (19.18 +/- 9.17 ng/ml) than in 25 age- and sex-matched controls (11.32 +/- 2.15 ng/ml; p less than 0.001). The elevation was neither sex-related nor related to obvious liver sarcoid localization. Although sP-III-P levels were slightly higher in patients with stage II, there was no significant difference in patients with stage I or III. We found a positive relationship with serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (S-ACE) levels (p less than 0.04), but not with other markers of disease activity (67Ga uptake, bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] lymphocyte percent, vital capacity, and lung diffusing capacity). The relationship with S-ACE was confirmed in a longitudinal follow-up study, where sP-III-P strictly paralleled the S-ACE behavior. Finally, the initial sP-III-P levels did not predict cases either with disease relapse or resistance to corticosteroid treatment. We conclude that, in our study, sP-III-P levels failed to characterize sarcoid patients with radiologic fibrotic pattern (stage III), and, in addition, were unable to predict which patients would have a poor prognosis. Rather, they reflect a metabolic activity of sarcoid granuloma cells. Thus, the usefulness of sP-III-P in the treatment of patients with sarcoid may be considered similar to that of S-ACE.
 ...
PMID:Elevated serum procollagen III aminopeptide levels in sarcoidosis. 217 97

In order to detect the fibrotic response in lung-tissue, concentrations of type III procollagen N-terminal peptide (P-III-P) were examined in sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from rabbits with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and in sera from patients with various respiratory diseases, using a radioimmunoassay method. In the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, a significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) rise in P-III-P levels was observed in the lavage fluid at 7 days, and in the sera at 21 days after bleomycin treatment, with histological confirmation of pulmonary fibrosis. Many of the patients with pulmonary fibrotic changes had significantly elevated serum P-III-P level. In lung cancer patients, most of the post-radiation serum samples were found to have P-III-P levels greater than or equal to 18 ng/ml. These results suggest that the increase in P-III-P levels is the reflection of fibrotic changes in the lungs and that the clinical assessment of serum P-III-P level could be important in the early detection of pulmonary fibrosis.
 ...
PMID:Type III procollagen N-terminal peptides in experimental pulmonary fibrosis and human respiratory diseases. 241 22

The severity of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice varies markedly among several different murine strains. We have examined the DNA from lungs of sensitive (i.e., C57BL/6N) and resistant (i.e., BALB/c) strains of mice using a nucleoid sedimentation technique to detect early in vivo changes in the integrity of DNA after intravenous BLM. Mice received intravenous injections of BLM (80 mg/kg) or vehicle; lung nucleoids were prepared 15 min to 6 hr later. BLM produced striking decreases in nucleoid sedimentation distance versus paired controls in both strains within 15 min after injection, indicating extensive DNA scission. Repair of DNA strand breaks was complete in the resistant (BALB/c) mice by 5 hr; in contrast, only partial repair occurred in the sensitive (C57BL/6N) strain during that time. We then examined lungs for subsequent changes in steady state poly-(A)+ RNA levels and mRNA levels for lung matrix proteins (type I procollagen, type III procollagen, and fibronectin). Steady state levels of poly-(A)+ RNA were depressed to 50% of control 1 through 6 days after BLM injection in the lungs of sensitive mice. Resistant mice had pulmonary poly-(A)+ RNA levels similar to those of C57BL/6N mice, except for a 2-fold elevation 1 day after BLM injection. BLM injection affected the steady state levels of mRNA encoding lung matrix proteins differently than total poly-(A)+ RNA. Fibronectin mRNA/poly(A)+ RNA was elevated 2-fold 1 day after BLM treatment only in the sensitive strain and remained elevated at 3 and 6 days. In contrast, alpha 2I procollagen mRNA increased in both murine strains and alpha 1III procollagen mRNA decreased in both strains. Thus, a 7-fold or greater increase in the type I: type III procollagen mRNA ratio was seen in both strains 3 to 6 days after BLM injection. These data demonstrate that BLM treatment rapidly produces extensive pulmonary DNA damage in vivo, that persistence of DNA damage rather than the initial level of strand scission is associated with sensitivity to BLM lung disease in these mice, and that changes in the levels of mRNA encoding pulmonary matrix proteins occur in vivo within 1 to 3 days after intravenous BLM treatment.
 ...
PMID:Acute pulmonary toxicity of bleomycin: DNA scission and matrix protein mRNA levels in bleomycin-sensitive and -resistant strains of mice. 247 58

Serum immunoreactive prolylhydroxylase (IRPH), galactosylhydroxylsyl glucosyltransferase activity (GGT) and amino-terminal propeptides of type III procollagen (Pro(III) peptide) were measured in fifty three patients with sarcoidosis (all having some degrees of pulmonary fibrosis). The levels of IRPH and Pro(III) peptide showed no relationships to the clinical assessment of the disease and while GGT activity was raised in approximately 80% of the patients there was no correlation between the size of the increases and the clinical activity of the disease. The results of this study would suggest that measurement of the above parameters offer no specificity in either diagnosing or assessing the clinical activity of sarcoidosis. The observed increases in serum GGT activity in affected patients would however suggest that measurement of this enzyme may be useful perhaps in more severe pulmonary fibrotic reactions.
 ...
PMID:Activities of enzymes of collagen biosynthesis and levels of type III procollagen peptide in the serum of patients with sarcoidosis. 254 48


1 2 3 Next >>