الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Bronchial asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm.
Asthma is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR).
A key feature of asthmatic airways is remodeling which involves thickening of the airway wall, altered deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass. These structural changes may result from an aberrant repair process in the lung, which includes increased proliferation of the ASM cells.
The fibulins are a family of proteins that are associated with basement membranes and elastic extracellular matrix fibers.
The fibulins are minimally defined as having a series of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like modules, followed by a carboxy-terminal fibulin-type module.
Fibulins are hypothesized to function as intramolecular bridges that stabilize the organization of supramolecular ECM structures, such as elastic fibers and basement membranes.
Fibulin-1 was the first family member to be identified and it shows a distinct arrangement of typical ECM modules that are grouped together as domains I, II and III.
The synthesis of fibulin-1 starts at early stages of embryonic development and it is a constituent of most basement membranes in the avian embryo.
Fibulin-1 is incorporated into FN-containing matrix fibers. It plays a role in cell adhesion and migration along protein fibers within the ECM and is important for certain developmental processes.
Four isoforms of FBLN-1 have been identified to date in humans, designated FBLN-1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D.
Fibulin-1 is widely expressed in elastic fibers and the ECM of Fibulin-1 can be detected in human serum at relatively high concentrations (10–50 μg/ml).
Several studies have reported that fibulin-1 is overexpressed in various human neoplasias and it is implicated in processes such as invasion, motility, and in vivo tumor growth. Fibulin-1 inhibits in vitro adhesion and motility of various carcinoma cell lines.
Fibulin-1 (FBLN-1) assists in stabilizing the ECM which maintains airway function and structure by providing mechanical support in addition to constituting a dynamic and complex network that influences cellular function.
The present study aimed at investigation of possible association between the fibulin-1 levels in asthmatic patients and its relation to asthma severity.
The study was carried out on forty five asthmatic patients and thirty age and sex- matched normal control subjects.
It was found that fibulin-1 increased in serum of asthmatic patients but without relation to asthma severity and it also increased in BAL of severe degree bronchial asthma than in mild and moderate degrees.