Quantitative Proteomic Profiling of Bronchoalveolar Lavage-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in a Murine Asthma Model

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key mediators of intercellular
communication and immune regulation; however, their proteomic composition
in allergic asthma remains poorly understood. We performed tandem
mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomic analyses of bronchoalveolar
lavage fluid (BALF) and BALF-derived EVs in a murine house dust mite
(HDM) model of allergic airway inflammation. HDM challenge elicited
significant upregulation of Th2-associated proteins (CLCA1, FCGBP,
CHIL3, CHIL4, and RETNLA), which is consistent with hallmark features
of asthma. EPX and CKM were detected exclusively in BALF-derived EVs,
demonstrating that EVs can selectively carry disease-relevant proteins.
Our results underscore EV’s cargo-mediated mechanisms in asthma
pathogenesis.