This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 2005-0256OCv1 34/2/135    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Monzon, M. E. Articles by Forteza, R. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Monzon, M. E. Articles by Forteza, R. M.

Identification of Glycosaminoglycans in Human Airway Secretions

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Rosanna M. Forteza, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (R-47), University of Miami School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Ave., RMSB 7072A, Miami, FL 33136. E-mail: rforteza{at}miami.edu

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), known to be present in airway mucus, are macromolecules with a variety of structural and biological functions. In the present work, we used fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) to identify and relatively quantify GAGs in human tracheal aspirates (HTA) obtained from healthy volunteers. Primary cultures of normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) and submucosal gland (SMG) cells were used to assess their differential contribution to GAGs in mucus. Distribution was further assessed by immunofluorescence in human trachea tissue sections and in cell cultures. HTA samples contained keratan sulfate (KS), chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS), and hyaluronan (HA), whereas heparan sulfate (HS) was not detected. SMG cultures secreted CS/DS and HA, CS/DS being the most abundant GAGs in these cultures. NHBE cells synthesized KS, HA, and CS/DS. Confocal microscopy showed that KS was exclusively found at the apical border of NHBE cells and on the apical surface of ciliated epithelial cells in tracheal tissues. CS/DS and HA were present in both NHBE and SMG cells. HS was only found in the extracellular matrix in trachea tissue sections. In summary, HTA samples contain KS, CS/DS, and HA, mirroring a mixture of secretions originated in surface epithelial cells and SMGs. We conclude that surface epithelium is responsible for most HA and all KS present in secretions, whereas glands secrete most of CS/DS. These data suggest that, in diseases where the contribution to secretions of glands versus epithelial cells is altered, the relative concentration of individual GAGs, and therefore their biological activities, will also be affected.

Key Words: airway • glycosaminoglycan • mucus

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Lauer, S. C. Erzurum, D. Mukhopadhyay, A. Vasanji, J. Drazba, A. Wang, C. Fulop, and V. C. Hascall Differentiated Murine Airway Epithelial Cells Synthesize a Leukocyte-adhesive Hyaluronan Matrix in Response to Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress J. Biol. Chem., September 19, 2008; 283(38): 26283 - 26296. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Monzon, D. Manzanares, N. Schmid, S. M. Casalino-Matsuda, and R. M. Forteza Hyaluronidase Expression and Activity Is Regulated by Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Human Airway Epithelial Cells Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., September 1, 2008; 39(3): 289 - 295. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Fujiwara, T. Kawakatsu, S. Tayama, Y. Kobayashi, N. Sugiura, K. Kimata, and Y. Takai Hyaluronan-CD44 pathway regulates orientation of mitotic spindle in normal epithelial cells. Genes Cells, July 1, 2008; 13(7): 759 - 770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]