Serum Levels of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) Discriminate Moderate Uncontrolled from Severe Asthma

Ourania S Kotsiou; Ioannis Pantazopoulos; Georgios Mavrovounis; Konstantinos Marsitopoulos; Konstantinos Tourlakopoulos; Paraskevi Kirgou; Zoe Daniil; Konstantinos I Gourgoulianis

doi:10.3390/jpm12111776

Serum Levels of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) Discriminate Moderate Uncontrolled from Severe Asthma

J Pers Med. 2022 Oct 28;12(11):1776. doi: 10.3390/jpm12111776.

Authors

Ourania S Kotsiou¹, Ioannis Pantazopoulos², Georgios Mavrovounis³, Konstantinos Marsitopoulos³, Konstantinos Tourlakopoulos³, Paraskevi Kirgou³, Zoe Daniil³, Konstantinos I Gourgoulianis³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Pathophysiology, Faculty of Nursing, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece.
² Department of Internal Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece.
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41500 Larissa, Greece.

Abstract

Introduction: The most clinically useful concept in asthma is based on the intensity of treatment required to achieve good asthma control. Biomarkers to guide therapy are needed.

Aims: To investigate the role of circulating levels of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor suPAR as a marker for asthma severity.

Methods: We recruited patients evaluated at the Asthma Clinic, University of Thessaly, Greece. Asthma severity and control were defined according to the GINA strategy and Asthma Contro Test (ACT). Anthropometrics, spirometry, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), suPAR, blood cell count, c-reactive protein (CRP), and analyses of kidney and liver function were obtained. Patients with a history of inflammatory, infectious, or malignant disease or other lung disease, more than 5 pack years of smoking history, or corticosteroid therapy were excluded.

Results: We evaluated 74 asthma patients (69% female, mean age 57 ± 17 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 29 ± 6 kg/m²). In total, 24%, 13%, 6%, 5%, 29% and 23% of the participants had mild well-controlled, mild uncontrolled, moderate well-controlled, moderate uncontrolled, severe well-controlled, and severe uncontrolled asthma, respectively. Overall, 67% had T2-high asthma, 26% received biologics (15% and 85% received omalizumab and mepolizumab, respectively), and 34% had persistent airway obstruction. suPAR levels were significantly lower in asthmatics with moderate uncontrolled asthma than in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma without (2.1 ± 0.4 vs. 3.3 ± 0.7 ng/mL, p = 0.023) or with biologics (2.1 ± 0.4 vs. 3.6 ± 0.8 ng/mL, p = 0.029). No correlations were found between suPAR levels and age, BMI, T2 biomarkers, CRP, or spirometric parameters.

Conclusions: suPAR levels were higher in asthmatics with severe disease than in those with moderate uncontrolled asthma.

Keywords: asthma; control; severity; urokinase plasminogen activator receptor.

Grants and funding

This work is supported by a Grant from the Hellenic Thoracic Society. The funders had no role in study design, data collection, and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. (Grant Number: 17/2020).