ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the value of serum amyloid A (SAA) in patients with acute asthma attack. Methods Sixty-four asthmatic patients in acute phase and 20 healthy individuals were included. The asthmatic patients were divided into bacterial infection-induced group and non-bacterial infection-induced group. Lung function test and chest X-rays test were conducted And inflammatory cell counts , serum SAA and CRP levels were measured. SAA were compared among subgroups of asthmatic patients and healthy controls and the diagnostic value of SAA to distinguish bacterial infection-induced asthma was estimated. Results SAA of both asthma subgroups were significantly higher when compared with the healthy individuals, and it was higher in bacterial infection-induced group than that in non-bacterial infection-induced group. In terms of ROC curve , AUC was 0.966 for SAA to distinguish merging bacterium infection, and the cut-off value was 36.67mg/L with sensitivity of 92.3% and specificity of 88.2%. Conclusions SAA increases in patients during acute asthma attack, and particularlymore obviously in bacterial infection-induced patients. It may be used as a reliable biomarker to distinguish merging bacterium infection during acute asthma attack.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) on the expression and distribution of vitamin D receptor in normal human bronchial epithelial cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT assay was used to assess the viability of human airway epithelial cell line 16HBE following a 24-h exposure to different concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3). Real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence assay were used to observe the expression and distribution of vitamin D receptor in the cells following the exposure.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control cells, 16HBE cells exposed to different concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) exhibited no significantly increase in the expression or distribution of vitamin D receptor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The influence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) on bronchial epithelial cells might be independent of the expression and translocation of vitamin D receptor.</p>