Abstract
Background: An overlap between obesity and asthma exists, and inflammatory cells in adipose tissue could drive the development of asthma. We hypothesised that mast cell and inflammatory mediator gene expression in adipose tissue, would be associated with asthma.
Objective: To examine inflammatory markers in adipose tissue and the association with asthma and AHR.
Methods: 2 Inuit populations were recruited, one living in Greenland and another in Denmark. All had adipose subcutaneous biopsy performed, followed by diagnosis of asthma, and measurement of AHR. Adipose tissue biopsies were homogenised and RNA was extracted using the RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen). Standard PCR was performed to determine the relative gene expression of mast cell and inflammatory markers compared with the housekeeping gene 18s rRNA.
Results: Of 1059 participants, 556 Inuit's were living in Greenland. The adipose tissue gene expression of IL-6 and IL-1B was higher in Greenlanders living in Greenland than those living in Denmark (p<0.01), whereas CD163 was lower (p<0.01). Adipose tissue mast cell markers (TPSAB1, CPA3) were higher in Greenlanders living in Greenland compared with Denmark (p<0.01), whereas CMA1 was similar. Lastly, gene expression of adipose tissue IL6 were lower in those with asthma compared with non-asthma (p<0.04), but mast cell markers were not associated with asthma. In a multiple linear regression analysis, no association was found between gene expression of mast cell and inflammatory markers in adipose tissue and current asthma and AHR (p>0.2).
Conclusions: No association was found between gene expression of mast cell and inflammatory markers in adipose tissue, low-grade systemic inflammation and asthma.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
