Analysis of TRPV gene expression in the respiratory epithelium of asthma patients with osmotic airway hyperresponsiveness

Introduction. The phenomenon of airway hyperresponsiveness in response to changes in air humidity is widespread among patients with asthma. Transient receptor potential channels of the vanilloid subfamily (TRPV) are of interest in terms of study of specific mechanisms of bronchial osmotic hyperresponsiveness.
Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPV4 genes at mRNA level in the epithelium of the upper and lower respiratory tract in asthma patients with osmotic airway hyperresponsiveness.
Materials and methods. We examined 35 patients with mild and moderate asthma. All patients underwent bronchoprovocation tests with hypo- and hyperosmotic solutions. Expression of TRPV receptors was studied in brush biopsies of the nasal and bronchial epithelium by quantitative PCR with reverse transcription.
Results. Airway hyperrresponsiveness to hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic stimuli was observed in 25% and 50% of cases, respectively. It was found that patients with lower baseline FEV₁  had overexpression of TRPV1 (3.2 times, p=0.05) and TRPV2 (6.2 times, p=0.013) in the bronchial epithelium. Hypoosmotic airway hyperresponsiveness was associated with increased expression of the TRPV1 (7.4 times, p=0.004) and TRPV2 (18.5 times, p=0.014) genes in the bronchial epithelium. Airway hyperresponsiveness to hypertonic stimulus was also characterized by higher expression of TRPV1 (4.7 times, p=0.013) and TRPV2 (7.6 times, p=0.024). No difference in TRPV4 expression levels was found.
Conclusion. The obtained data indicate the up-regulation of TRPV1 and TRPV2 in the bronchial epithelium of asthma patients with osmotic airway hyperresponsiveness, what, in turn, may indicate the role of these receptors in the development of airway osmotic-induced responses and in the pathogenesis of asthma.

asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness, osmoreception, TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4, expression, epithelium

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