Platelet Activating Factor Receptor and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression Increases in the Small Airway Epithelium and Parenchyma of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Implications for Microbial Pathogenesis

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine 2024-04, Vol.13 (7), p.2126
• Main Authors: Shahzad, Affan Mahmood, Lu, Wenying, Dey, Surajit, Bhattarai, Prem, Gaikwad, Archana Vijay, Jaffar, Jade, Westall, Glen, Sutherland, Darren, Singhera, Gurpreet Kaur, Hackett, Tillie-Louise, Eapen, Mathew Suji, Sohal, Sukhwinder Singh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Blood platelets; Cell adhesion molecules; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Health aspects; Inflammation; Monoclonal antibodies; Pathogenesis; Physiological aspects; Platelet activating factor; Pulmonary fibrosis; Risk factors; Statistical analysis; Streptococcus infections; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Variance analysis; Viruses
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm13072126

: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible lung fibrotic disorder of unknown cause. It has been reported that bacterial and viral co-infections exacerbate disease pathogenesis. These pathogens use adhesion molecules such as platelet activating factor receptor (PAFR) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) to gain cellular entry, causing infections. : Immunohistochemical staining was carried out for lung resections from IPF patients (n = 11) and normal controls (n = 12). The quantification of PAFR and ICAM-1 expression is presented as a percentage in the small airway epithelium. Also, type 2 pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages were counted as cells per mm of the parenchymal area and presented as a percentage. All image analysis was done using Image Pro Plus 7.0 software. : PAFR expression significantly increased in the small airway epithelium ( < 0.0001), type 2 pneumocytes ( < 0.0001) and alveolar macrophages ( < 0.0001) compared to normal controls. Similar trend was observed for ICAM-1 expression in the small airway epithelium ( < 0.0001), type 2 pneumocytes ( < 0.0001) and alveolar macrophages ( < 0.0001) compared to normal controls. Furthermore, the proportion of positively expressed type 2 pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages was higher in IPF than in normal control. : This is the first study to show PAFR and ICAM-1 expression in small airway epithelium, type 2 pneumocytes and alveolar macrophages in IPF. These findings could help intervene microbial impact and facilitate management of disease pathogenesis.