Serum club cell protein 16 is associated with asymptomatic airway responsiveness in adults: Findings from the French epidemiological study on the genetics and environment of asthma

Marta Rava (1) , Nicole Le Moual (1) , Xavier Dumont (2) , Stefano Guerra (3, 4) , Valerie Siroux (5) , Bénédicte Jacquemin (1, 4) , Francine Kauffmann (6) , Alfred Bernard (2) , Rachel Nadif (1)

1 VIMA - Vieillissement et Maladies chroniques : approches épidémiologique et de santé publique
2 Louvain Centre for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
3 Arizona Respiratory Center
4 CREAL - Centre for Research and Environmental Epidemiology
5 INSERM U823 - Institut d'oncologie/développement Albert Bonniot de Grenoble
6 CESP - Centre de recherche en épidémiologie et santé des populations

Club cell secretory protein (CC-16) is a sensitive biomarker of airways epithelium integrity. It has gained interest as a biological marker in chronic lung diseases because of its presumed relationship to inflammation. Little is known about the association between CC-16 serum level and asthma, lung function and airway responsiveness (AR). Serum CC-16 level was determined by latex immunoassay in 1298 participants from the French Epidemiological case-control and family-based study on Genetics and Environment of Asthma (EGEA) (mean age 43 years; 49% men, 38% with asthma). Pre-bronchodilator lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 ), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1 /FVC) and degree of AR, expressed as a function of the dose-response slope to methacholine test were measured. Standardized residuals CC-16 z-scores were obtained by regressing CC-16 level on the glomerular filtration rate. CC-16 z-scores were correlated with asthma, lung function and AR in participants with and without asthma. CC-16 geometric mean level was 12.4 μg/L (range: 2.2-70.6 μg/L). In participants without asthma, lower CC-16 z-scores was associated with impaired FEV1 /FVC% (β = 0.50 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.95) and with higher degree of AR (β = 0.24 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.39)). CC-16 was not associated with impaired lung function or AR in participants with asthma. Lower CC-16 serum level was associated with impaired lung function and AR, suggesting that serum CC-16 level may reflect early damages to the lung epithelium in adults without asthma.

Mots clés: asthma; lung function test; airway hyper-reactivity; biological marker; Uteroglobin

Domaines: Santé publique et épidémiologie

Marta Rava, Nicole Le Moual, Xavier Dumont, Stefano Guerra, Valerie Siroux, et al.. Serum club cell protein 16 is associated with asymptomatic airway responsiveness in adults: Findings from the French epidemiological study on the genetics and environment of asthma. Respirology, 2015, 20 (8), pp.1198-205. ⟨10.1111/resp.12609⟩. ⟨inserm-01353995⟩