Furthermore, the expression of PTEN was found to be substantially downregulated in PASMCs from COPD patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) compared with normal controls by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot.
In peripheral lung, PTEN protein was significantly decreased in patients with COPD compared with the subjects without COPD (<i>P</i> < 0.001) and positively correlated with the severity of airflow obstruction (forced expiratory volume in 1-s percent predicted; <i>r</i> = 0.50; <i>P</i> = 0.0012).
We investigated in vivo expression of six RBPs (AUF1, HuR, NCL, TIA, TIAR, PCBP2) and two inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes (RECK, PTEN) in pulmonary sarcoidosis and compared it to the expression in four control groups of healthy individuals and patients with other respiratory diseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs).