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Increased circulating heat shock protein 70 levels in pregnant asthmatics

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Cell Stress and Chaperones Aims and scope

Abstract

Asthma is one of the most common diseases complicating pregnancy and represents a risk factor for several maternal and perinatal complications. The natural history of asthma is known to change in pregnancy, but very few data are available in the terms of pathomechanism of this change during gestation. Circulating heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) levels are decreased in healthy pregnancy, which might reflect physiological immunotolerance. The aim of our study was to determine the serum levels of Hsp70 in asthmatic women during gestation. Forty pregnant women with bronchial asthma and 40 healthy pregnant women matched for maternal and gestational age were involved in this case-control study. Serum Hsp70 levels were measured using the ELISA Kit of R&D Systems. Spirometry and oxygen saturation measurements were performed in asthmatic patients. In asthmatic pregnant women, an increase of serum Hsp70 levels was observed compared to healthy pregnant women (median (25–75 percentile): 0.44 ng/ml (0.36–0.53) versus 0.21 ng/ml (0–0.27), p < 0.001). Fetal birth weight of asthmatic mothers was significantly smaller than of healthy controls, but in the normal range (3,230 g (2,690–3,550) versus 3,550 g (3,450–3,775), p < 0.05). A statistically significant negative correlation between maternal age and serum Hsp70 concentrations (Spearman R = −0.48, p = 0.0018) and a significant positive correlation between gestational age and serum Hsp70 levels (Spearman R = 0.83, p < 0.001) were detected in healthy pregnant women. In conclusion, this study proves an elevation of circulating Hsp70 levels during asthmatic pregnancy compared to healthy pregnant women. However, further studies are warranted to determine the role of circulating Hsp70 in the pathogenesis of maternal and perinatal complications of asthma in pregnancy.

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Acknowledgements

The skillful technical assistance of Szigeti Antalné is acknowledged with many thanks. This work was supported by research grants from the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (K 68758, NF 72689) and the Faculty of Medicine of the Semmelweis University.

Disclosure of any personal or financial support or author involvement with organizations with financial interest in the subject matter

All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pulmonology, Semmelweis University, Diós árok 1/c, 1125, Budapest, Hungary

    Lilla Tamási, Anikó Bohács & György Losonczy

  2. Department of Genetics, Cell– and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Viola Tamási

  3. 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Balázs Stenczer, János Rigó Jr. & Attila Molvarec

  4. 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    Zoltán Prohászka

  5. Research Group of Inflammation Biology and Immunogenomics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Zoltán Prohászka

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  1. Lilla Tamási
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  2. Anikó Bohács
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  3. Viola Tamási
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  4. Balázs Stenczer
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  5. Zoltán Prohászka
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  6. János Rigó Jr.
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  7. György Losonczy
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  8. Attila Molvarec
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Correspondence to Lilla Tamási.

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Tamási, L., Bohács, A., Tamási, V. et al. Increased circulating heat shock protein 70 levels in pregnant asthmatics. Cell Stress and Chaperones 15, 295–300 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-009-0143-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12192-009-0143-8

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