login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Researchers Identify Molecule That Triggers Smoking-Related Lung Disease
Long-term exposure to compounds found in smoke can lead to both cardiovascular and lung disease.
Although lung exposure to cigarette smoke leads to immune cell recruitment and tissue fibrosis, how cigarette smoke causes these changes is unknown.
The researchers sought to determine if osteopontin, a molecule that attracts immune cells, mediates cell recruitment in smokers.
Prasse et al compared osteopontin levels from smokers with different types of lung diseases, healthy smokers, and healthy non-smokers.
They found high levels of osteopontin expression in patients with interstitial lung disease, whereas healthy smokers had lower levels, and healthy non-smokers produced no osteopontin.
Moreover, expressing osteopontin in rat lung resulted in recruitment of immune cells, resulting in symptoms similar to smoking-related interstitial lung diseases. These results indicate that osteopontin may be pathogenic in smoking-initiated lung disease.
The researchers said " that chronic nicotine stimulation induced by cigarette smoking promotes macrophage and Langerhans cell accumulation in the lung via an increase in [osteopontin production]."
Osteopontin and cellular receptors for nicotine may therefore be new targets for treating smoking related lung disease.
The study appears in The American Journal of Pathology.
Source-ANI
ARU
|
|
More News on: Sarcoidosis / Besnier - Boeck disease, Asbestosis , Cystic Fibrosis, Pneumoconiosis, Silicosis
 Comment & Contribute
|
Medwonders Health Network
- Health News Index
 | Quiz on Smoking What are the smoking facts? Read about the effects of smoking by participating in the quiz. 
|
- News Quick Links
| News Categories: |
| » | Schizophrenia Drug Differentiates Cancer Stem Cells into Less Threatening Cells |
| » | Docs Who Seldom Meet Drug Reps Continue to Prescribe Drugs With FDA “Black Box” Warnings |
| » | Revision in Quality Standards for Heparin |
| » | Acne Drug Users At High Risk of Developing Eye Infections |
| » | Patients Who Take Antidepressants When in ICU More Likely to Die |
| More Drug News | |
|
