Further evidence for association of YKL-40 with severe asthma airway remodeling.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The chitinase-like protein YKL-40 is associated with airflow limitation on spirometry and airway remodeling in patients with asthma. It remains unclear whether YKL-40 is associated with morphologic changes in the airways and parenchyma or with future progression of airflow limitation in severe asthma.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the association of circulating YKL-40 levels with morphologic changes in the airways and parenchyma and with longitudinal progression of airflow limitation.

METHODS:

The patients were participants in the Hokkaido Severe Asthma Cohort Study (n = 127), including smokers. This study consisted of 2 parts. In analysis 1, we analyzed associations between circulating YKL-40 levels and several asthma-related indices, including computed tomography-derived indices of proximal wall area percentage, the complexity of the airways (airway fractal dimension), and the parenchyma (exponent D) cross-sectionally (n = 97). In analysis 2, we evaluated the impact of circulating YKL-40 levels on forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) decline longitudinally for a 5-year follow-up (n = 103).

RESULTS:

Circulating YKL-40 levels were significantly associated with proximal wall area percentage and airway fractal dimension (r = 0.25, P = .01; r = -0.22, P = .04, respectively), but not with exponent D. The mean annual change in FEV1 was -33.7 (± 23.3) mL/y, and the circulating YKL-40 level was a significant independent factor associated with annual FEV1 decline (β = -0.24, P = .02), even after controlling for exponent D (β = -0.26, P = .01).

CONCLUSION:

These results provide further evidence for the association of YKL-40 with the pathogenesis of airway remodeling in severe asthma.

• Authors: Hirokazu Kimura, Kaoruko Shimizu, Naoya Tanabe, Hironi Makita, Natsuko Taniguchi, Hiroki Kimura, Masaru Suzuki, Yuki Abe, Machiko Matsumoto-Sasaki, Akira Oguma, Michiko Takimoto-Sato, Nozomu Takei, Munehiro Matsumoto, Houman Goudarzi, Susumu Sato, Junya Ono, Kenji Izuhara, Toyohiro Hirai, Masaharu Nishimura, Satoshi Konno
• Journal: Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol) Vol. 128 Issue 6 Pg. 682-688.e5 (06 2022) ISSN: 1534-4436 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35342020 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Adipokines
• CHI3L1 protein, human
• Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1
• Lectins

Topics

• Adipokines
• Airway Remodeling
• Asthma (metabolism)
• Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 (metabolism)
• Cohort Studies
• Forced Expiratory Volume
• Humans
• Lectins
• Lung (metabolism)