Epithelial cell proliferation contributes to airway remodeling in severe asthma.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Despite long-term therapy with corticosteroids, patients with severe asthma develop irreversible airway obstruction.

Objectives

To evaluate if there are structural and functional differences in the airway epithelium in severe asthma associated with airway remodeling.

Methods

In bronchial biopsies from 21 normal subjects, 11 subjects with chronic bronchitis, 9 subjects with mild asthma, and 31 subjects with severe asthma, we evaluated epithelial cell morphology: epithelial thickness, lamina reticularis (LR) thickness, and epithelial desquamation. Levels of retinoblastoma protein (Rb), Ki67, and Bcl-2 were measured, reflecting cellular proliferation and death. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to study cellular apoptosi

SUBMITTER: Cohen L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1994213 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature