Distinct Morphological Types of Small Airway Obstructions in Smokers with Emphysema and End-Stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

ABSTRACT: Rationale: The precise nature of small airway obstructions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly understood, especially at early disease stages. Objectives: This study aimed to characterize small airway obstructions and numbers up to the terminal bronchioles (TBs) in smokers with limited emphysema and end-stage COPD. We hypothesized that obstruction subtypes would differ in morphology, nature, and number from early to end-stage COPD. Methods: Whole lungs were inflated and processed from seven control donors (control: declined for extrapulmonary reasons); from eight donors with a history of smoking, of whom three had <5% emphysema (smokers with no emphysema) and five had >5% emphysema (smokers with emphysema); and from eight patients with end-st

SUBMITTER: Geudens V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12700280 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature