Mucin expression in peripheral airways of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Author
Summary, in English
Aims: To study the expression of mucins in peripheral airways in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods and results: Peripheral lung sections from smokers with COPD (n = 9) and age-matched controls including smokers (n = 11) and lifelong non-smokers with normal lung function (n = 6) were stained with alcian blue, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and by immunohistochemistry of mucins (MUC): MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B and MUC6. Histochemical staining and immunoreactivity of bronchiolar epithelium were graded and the presence or absence of stained mucus in the bronchiolar lumen was evaluated. There were no differences in alcian blue and PAS epithelial staining between the three groups. Intraluminal PAS staining was significantly more frequent among COPD subjects (P < 0.05). The expression of MUC5AC was significantly higher in the bronchiolar epithelium of patients with COPD (P < 0.05). Within the bronchiolar lumen, the predominant mucin was MUC5B. Intraluminal MUC5B was significantly more frequent among COPD patients (P < 0.05). Conclusions: COPD is specifically associated with increased expression of MUC5B in the bronchiolar lumen and of the mucin MUC5AC in the bronchiolar epithelium. These changes in mucin production in the peripheral airways may contribute to the pathophysiology of COPD.
Department/s
Publishing year
2004
Language
English
Pages
477-484
Publication/Series
Histopathology
Volume
45
Issue
5
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Cell and Molecular Biology
Keywords
- MUC5B
- COPD
- mucins
- MUC5AC
- peripheral airways
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0309-0167