Source: Annual Congress 2010 - COPD: treatment and monitoring
Disease area: Airway diseases

Abstract

Chitinases degrade chitin, a structural polysaccharide found in crustaceans, insects, fungi and parasites. Expression of chitinases and the chitinase-like protein YKL-40 were recently suggested to be markers of asthma severity, yet little is known about effects of anti-inflammatory therapy on these enzymes. Our aim was to examine the effect of oral corticosteroid treatment on activity of one human chitinase, chitotriosidase, in subjects with airway inflammation.
Well-characterised subjects with asthma (mild n=55, severe n=69) and COPD (n=44), taking part a European multicentre study (BIOAIR) were included. Subject characteristics are described in separate communications (Kupczyk et al.). Patients took part in a 2-week double-blind placebo-controlled steroid intervention (0.5 mg/kg body weight/day) in addition to regular treatment. Subjects that had taken placebo also received steroid treatment for a further two weeks. Serum chitotriosidase activity (S-CHITact) was analysed using the substrate 4-deoxy-chitobioside.
Subjects with COPD had higher basal levels of S-CHITact (162 (92-267)) compared to mild (96 (62-135), p<0.001) and severe (90 (60-130), p<0.001) asthmatics. In COPD, S-CHITact (nmol/ml/hour) was lower following steroid treatment (122 (87-184)) compared to baseline (165 (104-281), p=0.001) and placebo (148 (87-231), p<0.001, median (inter quartile range)). Steroid treatment had little effect on S-CHITact in asthmatic subjects.
In patients with COPD, S-CHITact was higher than in patients with asthma, and was reduced by steroid treatment. It should be recognised that corticosteroids may reduce chitotriosidase activity and maintenance therapy could therefore affect the present results.

Rating:

Share or cite this content

Citations should be made in the following way:
A. James, R. Boot, E. Weersink, M. Kupczyk, R. Middelveld, E. Bel, B. Dahlén, L. Johansson, J. Aerts, S. E. Dahlén (Stockholm, Sweden; Amsterdam, Netherlands). Oral corticosteroid treatment reduces serum chitotriosidase activity in patients with COPD. Eur Respir J 2010; 36: Suppl. 54, 1321

Member's Comments

No comment yet.

Related content which might interest you: Effect of systemic steroid treatment on serum leptin levels in patients with COPD exacerbation Source: Eur Respir J 2005; 26: Suppl. 49, 284s Year: 2005 Decreased levels of myeloperoxidase in induced sputum of COPD patients after oral glucocorticoids treatment Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 404s Year: 2002 Effect of corticosteroid therapy upon serum magnesium level in chronic asthmatic children Source: Annual Congress 2010 - Paediatric asthma, rhinitis and management Year: 2010 Serum YKL-40 modulation in severe asthma patients treated with Mepolizumab Source: Virtual Congress 2020 – Monoclonal antibodies in asthma Year: 2020 Effect of dupilumab on oral corticosteroid use in severe asthma patients with improving lung function Source: Virtual Congress 2020 – Recent innovations regarding the mechanisms and treatments of asthma Year: 2020 The effect of methylxanthine, corticosteroid, and N -acetylcystein on plasma oxidant/antioxidant levels in patients with COPD Source: Eur Respir J 2001; 18: Suppl. 33, 215s Year: 2001 Serum leptin levels in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroid Source: Eur Respir J 2004; 24: Suppl. 48, 580s Year: 2004 Plasma biomarkers and response to therapy at exacerbation of COPD Source: Eur Respir J 2007; 30: Suppl. 51, 39s Year: 2007 Plasma proteins elevated in severe asthma despite oral steroid use and unrelated to Type-2 inflammation Source: Eur Respir J, 59 (2) 2100142; 10.1183/13993003.00142-2021 Year: 2022 Effect of azithromycin treatment on inflammation in COPD patients Source: International Congress 2019 – COPD clinical trials: inhaled and oral therapies Year: 2019 Effect of oral N-acetylcysteine treatment on systemic inflammatory status in COPD patients Source: Eur Respir J 2005; 26: Suppl. 49, 716s Year: 2005 Effect of ICS withdrawal on COPD exacerbations in patients on triple therapy at baseline Source: International Congress 2018 – COPD management Year: 2018 Serum vitamin C level in patients with acute pneumonia and in COPD patients before and after therapy Source: Eur Respir J 2006; 28: Suppl. 50, 38s Year: 2006 Influence of statin therapy on exacerbation frequency in patients with COPD Source: Annual Congress 2009 - Drug effects in COPD Year: 2009 Effect of low dose theophylline as adjunct in treatment of COPD Source: International Congress 2016 – Pharmacological management of COPD Year: 2016 Monitoring free serum IgE in severe asthma patients treated with omalizumab Source: Annual Congress 2011 - Biomarkers and exacerbations of asthma and COPD Year: 2011 Short term reductions in inhaled glucocorticoid doses in children with asthma may be associated with increased levels of serum eosinophil protein X Source: Eur Respir J 2001; 18: Suppl. 33, 451s Year: 2001 The assesment of serum TNFα levels in COPD acute exacerbation and the effects of inhaler steroids on clinical and inflammatory determinants Source: Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 312s Year: 2002 Dose dependent increased mortality risk in COPD patients treated with oral glucocorticoids Source: Eur Respir J 2001; 17: 337-342 Year: 2001 Monitoring of inflammatory changes in patients with bronchial asthma before and after oral corticosteroid treatment Source: Annual Congress 2008 - Novel experimental approaches to understanding asthma and COPD II Year: 2008