Collagen type XIV is proportionally lower in the lung tissue of patients with IPF

Mehmet Nizamoglu; Maunick Lefin Koloko Ngassie; Rhode A Meuleman; Martin Banchero; Theo Borghuis; Wim Timens; Martijn C Nawijn; Barbro N Melgert; Irene H Heijink; Corry-Anke Brandsma; Janette K Burgess

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-46733-5

Collagen type XIV is proportionally lower in the lung tissue of patients with IPF

Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 8;13(1):19393. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-46733-5.

Authors

Mehmet Nizamoglu^#^{1

2}, Maunick Lefin Koloko Ngassie^#^{1

2}, Rhode A Meuleman^{1

2}, Martin Banchero^{1

2}, Theo Borghuis¹, Wim Timens^{1

2}, Martijn C Nawijn^{1

2}, Barbro N Melgert^{1

2

3}, Irene H Heijink^{1

2

4}, Corry-Anke Brandsma^{1

2}, Janette K Burgess^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1 [HPC EA11], 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands.
² Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute for Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Pulmonology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁵ Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1 [HPC EA11], 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands. [email protected].
⁶ Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. [email protected].
⁷ W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science-FB41, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. [email protected].

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in lung tissue is a characteristic of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Increased collagen deposition is also accompanied by altered collagen organization. Collagen type XIV, a fibril-associated collagen, supports collagen fibril organization. Its status in IPF has not been described at the protein level yet. In this study, we utilized publicly available datasets for single-cell RNA-sequencing for characterizing collagen type XIV expression at the gene level. For protein level comparison, we applied immunohistochemical staining for collagen type XIV on lung tissue sections from IPF patients and compared it to lung tissue sections from never smoking and ex-smoking donors. Analyzing the relative amounts of collagen type XIV at the whole tissue level, as well as in parenchyma, airway wall and bronchial epithelium, we found consistently lower proportions of collagen type XIV in all lung tissue compartments across IPF samples. Our study suggests proportionally lower collagen type XIV in IPF lung tissues may have implications for the assembly of the ECM fibers potentially contributing to progression of fibrosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Extracellular Matrix
Fibril-Associated Collagens
Humans
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis* / genetics
Lung
Patients

Substances

Fibril-Associated Collagens