The role of endogenous bromotyrosine in health and disease

Abstract

Bromotyrosine is a stable by-product of eosinophil peroxidase activity, a result of eosinophil activation during an inflammatory immune response. The elevated presence of bromotyrosine in tissue, blood, and urine in medical conditions involving eosinophil activation has highlighted the potential role of bromotyrosine as a medical biomarker. This is highly beneficial in a paediatric setting as a urinary noninvasive biomarker. However, bromotyrosine and its derivatives may exert biological effects, such as protective effects in the brain and pathogenic effects in the thyroid. Understanding these pathways may yield therapeutic advancements in medicine. In this review, we summarize the existing evidence present in literature relating to bromotyrosine formation and metabolism, identify the biological actions of bromotyrosine and evaluate the feasibility of bromotyrosine as a medical biomarker.

Keywords:

• Bromide
• bromotyrosine
• dehalogenase
• eosinophil
• eosinophil peroxidase
• halogen
• inflammation
• myeloperoxidase
• peroxidasin
• thyroid

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to pay their respects to the original author of this paper, Mariam Sabir (1998 – 2017) who passed away in October of 2017 to epilepsy. Mariam was a very bright student studying Applied Medical Sciences at University College London. She channelled great passion and positivity in everything she did, academically, humanely and in all aspects of her life, with the goal of making an impact in medicine and science, to ease what suffering she could in humanity. Her enthusiasm and dedication to research led to her starting this paper in the first year of her university studies whilst maintaining outstanding grades. Mariam never stopped epilepsy from allowing her to pursue the life she wanted and was a girl who was determined to make the most of what she had.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from Royal Free Charity and the Wellcome Trust, UK [grant no. 075748/Z/04/Z].