Pulmonary surfactant-associated protein B regulates prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 and inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Pulmonary surfactant-associated protein B (SFTPB) is a critical protein for lung homeostasis, and polymorphism of its gene is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few studies have so far confirmed the functional involvement of SFTPB in COPD. Serum SFTPB and inflammatory cytokine levels were measured in 54 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and 29 healthy controls. A549 cells were induced using 10% cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and treated with dexamethasone to investigate the effect of inflammation on SFTPB expression, and the effect of SFTPB overexpression and silencing on inflammatory cytokines was measured using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. SFTPB expression was assessed in mouse lung tissues using immunofluorescence. Serum levels of SFTPB were significantly lower in COPD patients than in controls (P = 0.009). Conversely, levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 (PTGS2) were increased in COPD patients (IL-6: P = 0.006; PTGS2: P = 0.043). After CSE treatment, SFTPB mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased compared to controls (mRNA: P = 0.002; protein: P = 0.011), while IL-6, IL-8 and PTGS2 were elevated. Dexamethasone treatment increased SFTPB levels. Following overexpression of SFTPB in A549 cells, mRNA and protein levels of IL-6, IL-8 and PTGS2 were significantly reduced, while gene silencing induced the opposite effect. SFTPB levels were significantly reduced in the lung tissue of a mouse model of COPD compared to controls. Reduced SFTPB levels may induce PTGS2 and inflammatory responses in COPD and SFTPB could be a key protein for evaluation of COPD progression.