• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2013

Asthma is associated with increased levels of eosinophils in tissues, body fluids, and bone marrow. Elevated levels of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) have been noted in asthma patients. Higher levels of EDN and ECP are also associated with exacerbated asthmatic conditions. Thus, EDN, along with ECP, may aid the diagnosis and monitoring of asthma. Several groups have suggested that EDN is more useful than ECP in evaluating disease severity. This may partially be because of the recoverability of EDN (not sticky, 100% recovery rate), as ECP is a sticky and more highly charged protein. In terms of clinical utility, EDN level is a more accurate biomarker than ECP when analyzing the underlying pathophysiology of asthma. As a monitoring tool, EDN has shown good results in children with asthma as well as other allergic diseases. In children too young to fully participate in lung function tests, EDN levels may be useful as an alter native measurement of eosinophilic inflammation. EDN can also be used in adult patients and in multiple specimen types (e.g., serum, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and nasal lavage fluid). These results are repeatable and reproducible. In conclusion, EDN may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of asthma/allergic disease.

• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.686-697
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• 2018

Purpose: Several markers for eosinophilic inflammation have been proposed to predict response to asthma treatment. However, definitive criteria for treatment decisions have not yet been established. We investigate a potentially useful relatively non-invasive biomarker, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), to predict favorable responses to budesonide or montelukast, common treatment for children with asthma. Methods: Young children (1 to 6 years old) were enrolled in this randomized, parallel, 2-group, open-label trial. Criteria for eligibility included: 1) being symptomatic during the run-in period; and 2) having a serum EDN (sEDN) level ${\geq}53ng/mL$, with positive specific immunoglobulin E to house dust mite. Eligible patients were randomly placed into 2 groups: the BIS group received budesonide inhalation suspension (BIS) 0.5 mg once daily; the MONT group received montelukast 4 mg once daily. Ineligible patients were invited to receive montelukast 4 mg once daily (OBS group). Treatment period was 12 weeks. Results: Asthma control days increased significantly in the BIS and MONT groups (P < 0.000) over the 12-week study period. There was no significant change in sEDN in the BIS group but there was a significant decrease in the MONT group (P < 0.000). Patients in the OBS group with high EDN levels (> 53 ng/mL) showed a significant decrease due to MONT treatment (P = 0.023). Rescue medication usage significantly decreased in the BIS and MONT groups (P < 0.000). Conclusions: EDN is a useful relatively non-invasive biomarker for predicting responses to montelukast and budesonide treatment of preschool children with beta2-agonist responsive recurrent wheeze and multiple-trigger wheeze (Trial registry at UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN000008335).

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-64
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• 2016

Objectives: In the present study, a genetic analysis was conducted to investigate the association of the expression of SNPs of EDN1 gene polymorphism with the clinical phenotype in bronchial asthma patients with either excess or deficiency syndrome.Methods: Ninety-four healthy control subjects and 52 asthma patients were included in this study. The asthma patients were divided into two groups: those with deficiency syndrome and those with excess syndrome. We searched the exonic and promoter areas of the EDN1 gene in the NCBI website SNPs with <0.01 minor allele frequency (MAF) and <0.01 heterozygosity. Pro programs were performed to obtain the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and p-value. Multiple logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the genetic data.Results: In our genotype and allele analyses, there were significant differences in the codominant 2 model of the rs3087459 SNP genotype and also in the CGG haplotype between the control group and the asthma group. Genotype and allele analyses were conducted between the deficiency and excess syndrome group. There were significant differences in the dominant and log-additive model and also in the frequency of C-alleles of rs3087459 SNP genotype. There were significant differences in codominant 1, dominant and log-additive model and T-allele of rs5370 SNP genotype. The AGG haplotype also revealed significant differences.Conclusions: EDN1 SNPs (rs3087459, rs5370) showed a significant association with symptomatic excess syndrome in Korean asthmatic patients.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.397-408
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated changes in gene expressions concerning of differentiation, proliferation, mineralization and inflammation using Human-8 expression bead arrays when white Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and calcium hydroxide-containing cement were applied in vitro to human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). Materials and Methods: wMTA (white ProRoot MTA, Dentsply) and Dycal (Dentsply Caulk) in a Teflon tube (inner diameter 10 mm, height 1 mm) were applied to HDPCs. Empty tube-applied HDPCs were used as negative control. Total RNA was extracted at 3, 6, 9 and 24 hr after wMTA and Dycal application. The results of microarray were confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: Out of the 24,546 genes, 43 genes (e.g., BMP2, FOSB, THBS1, EDN1, IL11, COL10A1, TUFT1, HMOX1) were up-regulated greater than two-fold and 25 genes (e.g., SMAD6, TIMP2, DCN, SOCS2, CEBPD, KIAA1199) were down-regulated below 50% by wMTA. Two hundred thirty nine genes (e.g., BMP2, BMP6, SMAD6, IL11, FOS, VEGFA, PlGF, HMOX1, SOCS2, CEBPD, KIAA1199) were up-regulated greater than two-fold and 358 genes (e.g., EDN1, FGF) were down-regulated below 50% by Dycal. Conclusions: Both wMTA and Dycal induced changes in gene expressions related with differentiation and proliferation of pulp cells. wMTA induced changes in gene expressions related with mineralization, and Dycal induced those related with angiogenesis. The genes related with inflammation were more expressed by Dycal than by wMTA. It was confirmed that both wMTA and Dycal were able to induce gene expression changes concerned with the pulp repair in different ways.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.152-163
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• 2010

This study investigated the changes in gene expression when mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) was applied in vitro to human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). MTA in a teflon tube (diameter 10 mm, height 2 mm) was applied to HDPCs. Empty tube-applied HDPCs were used as negative control. For microarray analysis, total RNA was extracted at 6, 24, and 72 hrs after MTA application. The results were confirmed selectively by performing reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for genes that showed changes of more than two-fold or less than half. Of the 24,546 genes, 109 genes were up-regulated greater than twofold (e.g., FOSB, THBS1, BHLHB2, EDN1, IL11, FN1, COL10A1, and TUFT1) and 69 genes were down-regulated below 50% (e.g., SMAD6 and DCN). These results suggest that MTA, rather than being a bio-inert material, may have potential to affect the proliferation and differentiation of pulp cells in various ways.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.33-37
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• 2005

Eosinophil degranulation is considered to be a key effector function for the killing of helminthic worms and tissue inflammation at worm-infected lesion sites. However, relatively little data are available with regard to eosinophil response after stimulation with worm-secreted products which contain a large quantity of cysteine proteases. In this study, we attempted to determine whether the degranulation of human eosinophils could be induced by the direct stimulation of the excretory-secretory products (ESP) of Paragonimus westermani, which causes pulmonary paragonimiasis in human beings. Incubation of eosinophils for 3 hr with Paragonimus-secreted products resulted in marked degranulation, as evidenced by the release of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EON) in the culture supernatants. Moreover, superoxide anion was produced by eosinophils after stimulation of the ESP. The ESP-induced EDN release was found to be significantly inhibited when the ESP was pretreated with protease inhibitor cocktail or the cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64. These findings suggest that human eosinophils become degranulated in response to P. westermani-secreted proteases, which may contribute to in vivo tissue inflammation around the worms.