Serum periostin levels serve as a biomarker for both eosinophilic airway inflammation and fixed airflow limitation in well-controlled asthmatics

• Published in: The Journal of asthma 2019-03, Vol.56 (3), p.236-243
• Main Authors: Takahashi, Kentaro, Meguro, Kazuyuki, Kawashima, Hirotoshi, Kashiwakuma, Daisuke, Kagami, Shin-ichiro, Ohta, Shoichiro, Ono, Junya, Izuhara, Kenji, Iwamoto, Itsuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - administration & dosage; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Adult; Aged; Airway Remodeling - physiology; Asthma - blood; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - physiopathology; Biomarkers; Cell Adhesion Molecules - biosynthesis; Cell Adhesion Molecules - blood; control/management; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Eosinophils - metabolism; Female; Humans; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - physiopathology; Male; mechanisms; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide - analysis; Respiratory Function Tests; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0277-0903; 1532-4303
• DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2018.1455855

Objective: Periostin, a matricellular protein, is produced from airway epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts by IL-13. It has been suggested that periostin is involved in allergic inflammation and fibrosis. However, the usefulness of serum periostin measurement in the assessment of airway inflammation and remodeling and management of asthmatic patients is still debated. We aimed to determine whether serum periostin levels reflect eosinophilic airway inflammation and airway remodeling in asthma. Methods: We examined the relationship of serum periostin levels with clinical features, biomarkers for eosinophilic airway inflammation, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels and blood eosinophil counts, and pulmonary functions in 235 well-controlled asthmatic patients on inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) treatment. Results: Serum periostin levels were positively correlated with blood eosinophil counts (%) and age (r = 0.36 and 0.23, respectively), and were negatively correlated with body weight and FEV 1 /FVC (%) (r = −0.24 and − 0.23, respectively) in well-controlled asthmatic patients on ICS treatment (daily dose of 453 µg equivalent to fluticasone propionate). Blood eosinophil counts and serum periostin levels were similarly associated with increased FeNO levels (≥40 ppb) in the asthmatics. Serum periostin levels were better associated with fixed airflow limitation (FEV 1 /FVC ratio