Osteopontin expression and relation to disease severity in human asthma.

Recent studies have associated osteopontin (OPN) with allergic inflammation; however, its role in human asthma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to measure OPN levels in the serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and bronchial tissue of healthy controls and asthmatics, identify cellular sources of OPN and examine possible correlations between OPN expression, disease severity and airway remodelling. Serum samples were obtained from 35 mild-to-moderate asthmatics, 19 severe asthmatics and 17 healthy controls in the steady state and in cases of exacerbation. Of these subjects, 29 asthmatics and nine controls underwent bronchoscopy with endobronchial biopsy and BALF collection. OPN expression was determined by ELISA and immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence. Reticular basement membrane thickness and goblet cell hyperplasia were also determined. Serum and BALF OPN levels were significantly increased in all asthmatics in the steady state, whereas serum levels decreased during exacerbations. OPN was upregulated in the bronchial tissue of all patients, and expressed by epithelial, airway and vascular smooth muscle cells, myofibroblasts, T-lymphocytes and mast cells. OPN expression correlated with reticular basement membrane thickness and was more prominent in subepithelial inflammatory cells in severe compared to mild-to-moderate asthma. OPN expression is upregulated in human asthma and associated with remodelling changes, and its subepithelial expression correlates with disease severity.

Indolent fever, weight loss and spleen infiltrate.

This is a case of a young female who was admitted to our department with fever of one month in duration, without a specific pattern, anemia, lymphadenopathy and weight loss. The initial clinical and radiological evaluation and laboratory tests, although extensive, were unrevealing. The patient's general situation was temporarily improved and she was dismissed, but she revisited our hospital 2, 5 months later because of fever recurrence and a new pain at the upper left abdomen. This time the pathological findings were more prominent. The abdomen CT scan revealed a splenic mass. The evidence was suggestive of lymphoma, granulomatous or unusual infectious disease. However, it was not possible to establish a certain diagnosis, so we proceeded to open splenectomy and histological analysis that disclosed an inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen. This procedure apart from diagnostic proved to be also therapeutic. The patient was cured and at six-month follow up she was in perfect health. Our case suggests that a high index of suspicion regarding this entity is needed, particularly if the disease course is variable and protracted.