The clinical role of neurturin in bronchial asthma.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K08607
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: Fukushima Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Suguru 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 博士研究員 (90464510)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 康仁 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70769596)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Neurturin / 喘息 / 気道アレルギー / 神経栄養因子 / 2型炎症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neurturin (NRTN) is a neurotrophic factor that was originally identified in the development and maintenance of neural cells.　The purposes of the present study were to confirm the presence of NRTN in the airways and to investigate the clinical and pathogenetic roles of NRTN in asthma. All asthmatic subjects had detectable sputum NRTN levels, with a mean (SD) level of 2.04 (1.29) ng/mL. The sputum NRTN levels had significant positive correlations with sputum eosinophil and exhaled nitric oxide levels, and were significantly higher in the atopic subjects than in the non-atopic subjects. In sputum inflammatory analyses, sputum NRTN level was positively correlated with IL-5 and IL-13 levels, and negatively correlated with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 level. It is plausible that sputum NRTN could serve as a new marker for Type 2 airway inflammation, implicating its role in the process of airway remodeling in asthma.

Free Research Field

喘息

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

神経栄養因子は当初中枢神経組織の成長や維持に関連する物質と考えられていたが、近年全身組織における同物質の発現やその役割が解明されている。
本研究では喘息患者から採取した誘発喀痰を用いて、神経栄養因子の一つであるNeurturin(NRTN)の喀痰中濃度を測定しアトピー型で高濃度で、喀痰好酸球や呼気NO濃度、分子的な検討では喀痰中IL-5やIL-13との有意な正の相関を認めるなど2型炎症との関連が示唆され、さらに喀痰中のMMP-9と負の相関を認め気道リモデリングなどとの関連も示唆された。今後NRTNの気道リモデリング抑制効果などが予想され、新たな喘息治療のターゲットとなりうる可能性がある。