PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelial clone) is a newly discovered gene that is expressed in the upper respiratory tract and is suggested to be of importance in host defence against bacteria. We have identified two forms of the PLUNC protein in human nasal lavage fluid (NLF) using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and MS. The apparent molecular masses and isoelectric points of these forms are 24.8 kDa/pI 5.4 and 25.1 kDa/pI 5.5. Notably, the 24.8 kDa/pI 5.4 form of PLUNC is an abundant protein in the 2-DE protein patterns of NLF from healthy subjects. Decreased levels of PLUNC were found in NLF from smokers and workers exposed to reactive epoxy chemicals, indicating that long-term exposure to airway irritants impairs the production of PLUNC in the upper respiratory tract. We have also investigated the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding proteins in NLF. Five proteins were found to adsorb to a LPS-coated surface; two of these proteins correspond to the two PLUNC forms, as judged by 2-DE pattern matching. For comparison, human saliva was found to contain a set of LPS-binding proteins with similar 2-DE spot positions (the same pIs but somewhat lower apparent molecular masses of ≈20 kDa). These results indicate that PLUNC may be a new marker of airway inflammation and may play a part in the innate immune response, and that human saliva contains yet other members of the family of LPS-binding proteins.
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August 2003
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Conference Article|
August 01 2003
PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelial clone) proteins in human nasal lavage fluid
B. Ghafouri;
B. Ghafouri
*Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
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E. Kihlström;
E. Kihlström
†Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
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B. Ståhlbom;
B. Ståhlbom
*Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
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C. Tagesson;
C. Tagesson
*Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
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M. Lindahl
M. Lindahl
1
*Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (e-mail Mats.Lindahl@imk.liu.se).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2003 Biochemical Society
2003
Biochem Soc Trans (2003) 31 (4): 810–814.
Citation
B. Ghafouri, E. Kihlström, B. Ståhlbom, C. Tagesson, M. Lindahl; PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelial clone) proteins in human nasal lavage fluid. Biochem Soc Trans 1 August 2003; 31 (4): 810–814. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0310810
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