Endothelial to mesenchymal transition: a precursor to pulmonary arterial remodelling in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Archana Vijay Gaikwad1,2,
- Wenying Lu1,2,3,
- Surajit Dey1,
- Prem Bhattarai1,
- Greg Haug1,4,
- Josie Larby1,4,
- Collin Chia1,3,4,
- Jade Jaffar5,6,
- Glen Westall5,6,
- Gurpreet Kaur Singhera7,8,
- Tillie-Louise Hackett7,8,
- Mathew Suji Eapen1,2,9 and
- Sukhwinder Singh Sohal1,3,9⇑
- 1Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
- 2National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Pulmonary Fibrosis, Respiratory Medicine and Sleep Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW , Australia
- 3Launceston Respiratory and Sleep Centre, Launceston, TAS, Australia
- 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Launceston General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
- 5Department of Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- 6Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- 7Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 8Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 9These authors contributed equally to this work
- Corresponding author: Sukhwinder Sohal (sukhwinder.sohal{at}utas.edu.au)
Abstract
Background We have previously reported arterial remodelling in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and suggested that endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) might be central these changes. This study aims to provide evidence for active EndMT in IPF patients.
Methods Lung resections from thirteen patients with IPF and fifteen normal controls (NC) were immunostained for EndMT biomarkers: VE-cadherin, N-cadherin, S100A4 and vimentin. Pulmonary arteries were analysed for EndMT markers by using computer and microscope assisted image analysis software Image ProPlus7.0. All the analysis was done with observer blinded to subject and diagnosis.
Results Increased expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin (p<0.0001), vimentin (p<0.0001), and S100A4 (p<0.05), was noted with downregulation of junctional endothelial VE-cadherin (p<0.01) in intimal layer of the arteries from patients with IPF compared to NC. Cadherin switch was observed in IPF patients, showing increase in endothelial N-cadherin and decrease in VE-cadherin (p<0.01). There was also VE-cadherin shift from junctions to cytoplasm (p<0.01), effecting endothelial cell integrity in patients with IPF. In IPF, individual mesenchymal markers vimentin and N-cadherin negatively correlated with diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (r'=-0.63, p=0.03 and r’=-0.66, p= 0.01). Further, N-cadherin positively correlated with arterial thickness (r'=0.58, p=0.03).
Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate active EndMT in size based classified pulmonary arteries from IPF patients and potential role in driving remodelling changes. The mesenchymal markers had negative impact on the diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide. This work also informs early origins of pulmonary hypertension in patients with IPF.
Footnotes
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Conflict of interest: Sukhwinder Singh Sohal reports personal fees for lectures from Chiesi, travel support from Chiesi and AstraZeneca, and research grant from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: All the other authors do not have any conflict of interest to declare.
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- Received October 3, 2022.
- Accepted January 26, 2023.
- Copyright ©The authors 2023
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