IntroductionNeutrophils play a key rôle in the inflammatory process in severe asthma and COPD pathologies. Interleukin 8 (IL8), a neutrophil chemoattractant, was dramatically increased in superna-tants of induced sputum in thèse diseases. However, the in vitro effects of IL8 on epithelial cell activation has never been studied. We investigated the IL8 action on product sécrétions from epithelial cells using the SELDI (Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization) proteomic technology.MethodsHuman Small Airway Epithelial Cells (SAEC) were incubated with or without IL8 (50 ng/ml) for 12 and 16h in média (SAGM) depleted or not in Bovine Sérum Albumin 2h before stimulation. Culture supernatants were applied to strong anion exchange or weak cation exchange protein chip arrays and chips were analysed by Time Of Flight-Mass Spectrometry. Biowizzard Software was used to détermine specificity of the différence observed.ResultsThe protein profiling performed on 10 experiments in each différent condition showed very reproducible protein spectra. The differential analysis of supernatant from epithelial cells incubated with IL8 showed particularly spécifie increase of a 4810 Da protein.ConclusionIdentification and characterization of this protein modulated by IL8 in human branchial epithelial cells might reveal new endogenous targets of the relation between neutrophils and epithelial cells and could provide new insights into the understan-ding of severe asthma and COPD diseases.