Factors Influencing Oxidative Imbalance in Pulmonary Fibrosis : An Immunohistochemical Study

Abstract EN

Background.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease of unknown etiology characterized by interstitial fibrosis determining irreversible distortion of pulmonary architecture.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and markers of oxidative stress play a pivotal role in human IPF pathology, possibly through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Methods.

We investigated by immunohistochemistry, in UIP and COP tissue samples, the expression of most relevant markers of the molecular interplay involving RAGE, oxidant/antioxidant balance regulation, tissue nitrosylation, and mediators of EMT.

Results.

In both UIP and COP, the degree of RAGE expression was similarly high, while SODs and i-NOS, diffusely present in COP endoalveolar plugs, were almost absent in UIP fibroblast foci.

A lower degree of tissue nitrosilation was observed in UIP than in COP.

Conclusions.

Fibroblast lesions of UIP and of COP share a similar degree of activation of RAGE, while antioxidant enzyme expression markedly reduced in UIP.

Erratum of “Factors Influencing Oxidative Imbalance in Pulmonary Fibrosis: An Immunohistochemical Study”dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/515608