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Does leptin play a cytokine-like role within the airways of COPD patients?

A. Bruno^1,3, P. Chanez², G. Chiappara¹, L. Siena¹, S. Giammanco³, M. Gjomarkaj¹, G. Bonsignore¹, J. Bousquet² and A. M. Vignola^1,

¹ Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare–Sezione di Immunopatologia e Farmacologia Clinica e Sperimentale dell'Apparato Respiratorio, Clinica Pneumologica Università di Palermo, and ³ Istituto di Fisiologia e Nutrizione Umana, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. ² Clinique des Maladies Respiratoires, University Hospital and INSERM U454, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU Montpellier, France.

CORRESPONDENCE: A. Bruno, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Ugo La Malfa, 153-90146 Palermo, Italy. Fax: 39 0916809122. E-mail: andreina@neomedia.it

Keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, endobronchial biopsies, leptin

Received: August 5, 2004
Accepted April 26, 2005

The leptin-leptin receptor system might be up-regulated in the airways of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In bronchial biopsies obtained from normal subjects and smokers, with and without COPD, the present study examined leptin and leptin-receptor expression and their co-localisation in airway and inflammatory cells.

Combining immunohistochemistry with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labelling techniques, apoptosis in airway and inflammatory cells and in leptin and leptin-receptor expressing cells was investigated. In the epithelial cells both leptin and leptin-receptor expression was higher in normal subjects than in smokers and COPD subjects. By contrast, in the sub-mucosa, leptin was over-expressed in COPD when compared with normal subjects and smokers. Leptin and its receptor were co-localised, mainly with activated T cells (CD45R0) and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes.

In smokers, apoptosis was found in some inflammatory cells, whereas in COPD inflammatory cells, leptin and leptin-receptor positive cells were not apoptotic. Leptin expression was related to COPD severity and assessed using the Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification.

In conclusion, the present study shows an increased leptin expression in bronchial mucosa of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, associated with airway inflammation and airflow obstruction.

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