RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Osteopontin and periostin in bronchial tissue associate with a 20-year decline of pulmonary function in asthmatics JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP P2043 VO 44 IS Suppl 58 A1 Yoshihiro Kanemitsu A1 Isao Ito A1 Akio Niimi A1 Kenji Izuhara A1 Shoichiro Ohta A1 Junya Ono A1 Toshiyuki Iwata A1 Tsuyoshi Oguma A1 Tomoko Tajiri A1 Tadao Nagasaki A1 Yumi Izuhara A1 Hisako Matsumoto A1 Michiaki Mishima YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P2043.abstract AB Rationale: Osteopontin and periostin are independently increased in asthmatic airways in response to Th2-driven inflammation and contribute to subepithelial fibrosis.Objectives: To determine whether the expression levels of osteopontin, periostin, or other factors are involved in the decline of long-standing pulmonary function by examining their expression in bronchial biopsy specimens collected at the time of initial evaluation in patients with asthma.Methods: Twenty asthmatics who underwent bronchoscopy between 1990 and 1995 participated in this study. Final evaluation follow-up was done in 2012. Using biopsy samples, immunohistochemistry including osteopontin-expressing cells and deposition of periostin were evaluated. Associations of annual change in forced expiratory volume in one second (ΔFEV1) with histological or clinical indices were analyzed.Measurements and Results: Median follow-up period was 20.3 (SD 1.3) years after bronchial biopsy, and the average ΔFEV1 was -19.1 (SD 30.8) mL/year. The numbers of osteopontin-positive cells (p = 0.004), CD8 T-lymphocytes (p = 0.01), and eosinophils (p = 0.04), and the amount of periostin deposition (p = 0.001) in bronchial subepithelium were associated with ΔFEV1. Multivariate stepwise analysis revealed that both osteopontin (p = 0.04) and periostin (p = 0.0497) independently affected ΔFEV1. Expression levels of osteopontin and periostin were related to the number of eosinophils (p = 0.04 and p = 0.047) and the expression of α smooth muscle actin (p = 0.01 and p = 0.0002).Conclusion: Increased expression levels of these proteins in asthmatic airways was related to an accelerated decline in FEV1 over a long-term period.