Clinical proteomics in lung diseases.

Proteomics is a relatively new approach for understanding the pathology and pathogenesis of various diseases. It has also been used for characterizing the modifications in protein expression during the development of interstitial lung diseases, in lung tumors, or following exposure to exogenous stress signals. We compared the protein composition of primary human lung fibroblasts derived from patients with lung fibrosis and control fibroblasts of unaffected lung tissues. We found a predominant modulation in proteins related to the cytoskeleton, including decreased expression of vimentin and lamin A/C, and increased expression of moesin. Furthermore, we observed lower levels of components of the antioxidative system, such as omega class glutathione S-transferase and an up-regulation of an intracellular chloride channel. In fibroblasts obtained from fibrotic lungs, the expression of a major histocompatibility complex class I C was decreased, and so was the expression of tripeptidyl-peptidase-I-precursor, a collagen-degrading exopeptidase. Our results and the studies reviewed in this paper represent just the beginning of detailed studies that should unravel the relevance and the functional consequences of differential protein expressions in the diseased lung.