| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The imbalance of growth factors for angiogenesis in the lung represents a situation in which the expression or activity of one growth factor predominates over another, usually of opposing effect, within the same compartment such as alveolar septa and airway walls. Therefore, growth factors (e.g., VEGF, bFGF and HGF) and opposing factors (e.g., endostatin) should be measured within the various compartments of the lung. It is very important to characterize homeostasis of growth factors for angiogenesis in parenchymal and airway tissues of COPD. These findings may strongly support the new theory of vascular involvement in the processes of COPD. We will serially measure the concentrations of various growth factors for angiogenesis, oxidants and anti-oxidants in induced sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage and exhaled breath condensate. The effects of cigarette smoking on growth factor levels will be also evaluated. If angiogenic factors are required for maintenance of the alveolar compartment in patients with emphysema, one might expect angiogenic factors to be reduced, since there are fewer distal alveolar septa to require angiogenic factor-related signaling for maintenance. However, in chronic bronchitis, in which active abnormal airway remodeling is occurring, one would expect excessive growth factor levels. Currently, there is no evidence that known pharmacologic therapies change annual decline of lung function in COPD patients. However, our findings may lead to a new strategy for intervention in the processes of COPD, and tailor-made therapy for targeting of angiogenesis in alveolar septa and airway walls will for the treatment of individual COPD patients.
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