Airway angiogenesis in patients with rhinitis and controlled asthma.

Background: Airway angiogenesis may be an important part of structural remodelling in the pathogenesis of asthma. The development of asthma is frequently preceded by rhinitis.

Objective: We sought to determine whether the levels of angiogenesis-related factors are elevated in airways of patients with rhinitis or controlled asthma.

Methods: We analysed the induced sputum of 18 rhinitis patients, 16 asthmatic patients, and 15 healthy controls. The concentrations of angiogenin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), IL-8, fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and TNF-alpha were measured by cytometric bead arrays.

Results: We found significantly increased angiogenin and VEGF concentrations in the induced sputum supernatant of both rhinitis and asthma patients compared with that of the healthy control group (P< or =0.0005). With the exception of TNF-alpha, there was no difference in the other angiogenic factors; TNF-alpha levels were higher in the rhinitis group than in the control group (P=0.02).

Conclusions: These in vivo results suggest increased airway angiogenesis in patients with rhinitis without asthma as well as in corticosteroid-treated and well-controlled asthma patients.