Effect of treatment with inhaled corticosteroid on serum periostin levels in asthma.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Periostin is a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation and may contribute to airway remodeling in asthma. The anti-inflammatory activity of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma control is widely recognized. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ICS on serum periostin levels and its relationships to inflammation and airway geometry.


METHODS
Forty-two healthy controls and 20 patients with steroid-naïve asthma before and after treatment with fluticasone propionate (800 μg/day for 16 weeks) were examined. Serum periostin, lung function and inflammatory cell counts in sputum were measured. Airway dimensions were determined by quantitative computed tomography (total area of the airway (Ao), wall area (WA), wall thickness (T) and percentage wall area (WA%) ).


RESULTS
Serum periostin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in controls. Periostin levels were correlated with airway wall thickness and sputum eosinophilia and inversely correlated with airflow limitation in asthma. ICS significantly decreased serum periostin (P < 0.01), decreased WA corrected for body surface area (WA/BSA, P < 0.05), T/√BSA (P < 0.01) and WA% (P < 0.01), reduced the percentage of sputum eosinophils (P < 0.01) and improved airflow limitation. The decrease in serum periostin levels was associated with an increased per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = -0.64, P < 0.01), decreased WA/BSA (r = 0.46, P < 0.05) and decreased sputum eosinophils (r = 0.71, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSION
Serum periostin levels respond partially to ICS and may reflect a reduction in airway inflammation and wall thickening in asthma.
['Hoshino|Makoto|M|', 'Ohtawa|Junichi|J|', 'Akitsu|Kenta|K|']
D000280:Administration, Inhalation D000328:Adult D056151:Airway Remodeling D001249:Asthma D015415:Biomarkers D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules D004804:Eosinophils D005260:Female D000068298:Fluticasone D005938:Glucocorticoids D006801:Humans D007249:Inflammation D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D012129:Respiratory Function Tests D013183:Sputum D013223:Statistics as Topic D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed D016896:Treatment Outcome
inhaled corticosteroid periostin asthma inflammation airway dimension