• Jian-Chu Zhang, Gang Chen, Long Chen, Zhao-Ji Meng, Xian-Zhi Xiong, Hong-Ju Liu, Yang Jin, Xiao-Nan Tao, Jiang-Hua Wu, and Sheng-Wen Sun.
• Department of Respiratory Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 JieFang Avenue, Wuhan 430022, China.
• Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 23; 6: 31911.

AbstractBMP and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) is postulated to inhibit or modulate transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling. Furthermore, strong upregulation of BAMBI expression following in vitro infection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) lung tissue has been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated whether TGF-β/BAMBI pathway is associated with COPD. Blood samples were obtained from 27 healthy controls (HC), 24 healthy smokers (HS) and 29 COPD patients. Elevated Th17/Treg ratios, and increased levels of BAMBI protein and mRNA (in plasma and CD4(+) T cells respectively), were observed in COPD compared with HC and HS. BAMBI expression was first observed on human CD4(+) T cells, with a typical membrane-bound pattern. The enhanced plasma BAMBI levels in COPD positively correlated with the increased plasma TGF-β1 levels and Th17/Treg ratio. Together, an impaired TGF-β/BAMBI pathway may promote the inflammation leading to Th17/Treg imbalance, which is a new mechanism in smokers who develop COPD.

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