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The neutrophil-mobilizing cytokine interleukin-26 in the airways of long-term tobacco smokers

Che, Karlhans Fru ; Tufvesson, Ellen LU ; Tengvall, Sara ; Lappi-Blanco, Elisa ; Kaarteenaho, Riitta ; Levänen, Bettina ; Ekberg, Marie LU ; Brauner, Annelie ; Wheelock, Åsa M. and Bjermer, Leif LU , et al. (2018) In Clinical Science 132(9). p.959-983
Abstract

Long-term tobacco smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis display an excessive accumulation of neutrophils in the airways; an inflammation that responds poorly to established therapy. Thus, there is a need to identify new molecular targets for the development of effective therapy. Here, we hypothesized that the neutrophil-mobilizing cytokine interleukin (IL)-26 (IL-26) is involved in airway inflammation amongst long-term tobacco smokers with or without COPD, chronic bronchitis or colonization by pathogenic bacteria. By analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchail wash (BW) and induced sputum (IS) samples, we found increased extracellular IL-26 protein in the airways of long-term smokers in... (More)

Long-term tobacco smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis display an excessive accumulation of neutrophils in the airways; an inflammation that responds poorly to established therapy. Thus, there is a need to identify new molecular targets for the development of effective therapy. Here, we hypothesized that the neutrophil-mobilizing cytokine interleukin (IL)-26 (IL-26) is involved in airway inflammation amongst long-term tobacco smokers with or without COPD, chronic bronchitis or colonization by pathogenic bacteria. By analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchail wash (BW) and induced sputum (IS) samples, we found increased extracellular IL-26 protein in the airways of long-term smokers in vivo without further increase amongst those with clinically stable COPD. In human alveolar macrophages (AM) in vitro, the exposure to water-soluble tobacco smoke components (WTC) enhanced IL-26 gene and protein. In this cell model, the same exposure increased gene expression of the IL-26 receptor complex (IL10R2 and IL20R1) and nuclear factor κ B (NF-κB); a proven regulator of IL-26 production. In the same cell model, recombinant human IL-26 in vitro caused a concentration-dependent increase in the gene expression of NF-κB and several pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the long-term smokers, we also observed that extracellular IL-26 protein in BAL samples correlates with measures of lung function, tobacco load, and several markers of neutrophil accumulation. Extracellular IL-26 was further increased in long-term smokers with exacerbations of COPD (IS samples), with chronic bronchitis (BAL samples ) or with colonization by pathogenic bacteria (IS and BW samples). Thus, IL-26 in the airways emerges as a promising target for improving the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms behind several pulmonary morbidities in long-term tobacco smokers.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Clinical Science
volume
132
issue
9
pages
25 pages
publisher
Portland Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:29780024
  • scopus:85047468099
ISSN
0143-5221
DOI
10.1042/CS20180057
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4ab63a3a-b44f-4b53-b5f1-b3426b358451
date added to LUP
2018-06-07 09:04:08
date last changed
2024-06-11 16:19:23
@article{4ab63a3a-b44f-4b53-b5f1-b3426b358451,
  abstract     = {{<p>Long-term tobacco smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis display an excessive accumulation of neutrophils in the airways; an inflammation that responds poorly to established therapy. Thus, there is a need to identify new molecular targets for the development of effective therapy. Here, we hypothesized that the neutrophil-mobilizing cytokine interleukin (IL)-26 (IL-26) is involved in airway inflammation amongst long-term tobacco smokers with or without COPD, chronic bronchitis or colonization by pathogenic bacteria. By analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronchail wash (BW) and induced sputum (IS) samples, we found increased extracellular IL-26 protein in the airways of long-term smokers in vivo without further increase amongst those with clinically stable COPD. In human alveolar macrophages (AM) in vitro, the exposure to water-soluble tobacco smoke components (WTC) enhanced IL-26 gene and protein. In this cell model, the same exposure increased gene expression of the IL-26 receptor complex (IL10R2 and IL20R1) and nuclear factor κ B (NF-κB); a proven regulator of IL-26 production. In the same cell model, recombinant human IL-26 in vitro caused a concentration-dependent increase in the gene expression of NF-κB and several pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the long-term smokers, we also observed that extracellular IL-26 protein in BAL samples correlates with measures of lung function, tobacco load, and several markers of neutrophil accumulation. Extracellular IL-26 was further increased in long-term smokers with exacerbations of COPD (IS samples), with chronic bronchitis (BAL samples ) or with colonization by pathogenic bacteria (IS and BW samples). Thus, IL-26 in the airways emerges as a promising target for improving the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms behind several pulmonary morbidities in long-term tobacco smokers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Che, Karlhans Fru and Tufvesson, Ellen and Tengvall, Sara and Lappi-Blanco, Elisa and Kaarteenaho, Riitta and Levänen, Bettina and Ekberg, Marie and Brauner, Annelie and Wheelock, Åsa M. and Bjermer, Leif and Magnus Sköld, C. and Lindén, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0143-5221}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{9}},
  pages        = {{959--983}},
  publisher    = {{Portland Press}},
  series       = {{Clinical Science}},
  title        = {{The neutrophil-mobilizing cytokine interleukin-26 in the airways of long-term tobacco smokers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/CS20180057}},
  doi          = {{10.1042/CS20180057}},
  volume       = {{132}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}