Changes in the gene expression pattern of cytokeratins in human respiratory epithelial cells during culture

The replacement of extensive tracheal defects resulting from intensive care medicine, trauma or large resections is still challenged by the re-epithelialization of an autologous or alloplastic trachea replacement. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the potential of culture-expanded human respiratory epithelial cells (hREC) to regenerate a functional epithelium for tracheal tissue engineering. hREC from seven male nasal turbinates were freshly isolated, expanded on a collagenous matrix and subsequently cultured in high-density multi-layers to allow epithelial differentiation. The composition of epithelial cells in native respiratory epithelial tissue and culture-expanded hREC was analyzed by histological staining with Alcian blue and by immunohistochemical staining of cytokeratin pairs CK1/10 and CK5/14 with the antibodies 34betaE12 and CD44v6. Differentiation of culture-expanded hREC was further characterized by gene expression analysis of cytokeratins CK5, CK13, CK14 and CK18 using semi-quantitative real-time RT-PCR technique. Histological and immunohistochemical staining of culture-expanded hREC demonstrated basal cells covering the collagenous matrix. These cells formed a cellular multi-layer, which was composed of a basal layer of undifferentiated basal cells and an upper layer of cells differentiating along the squamous metaplasia and ciliated cell lineage. Lineage development of culture-expanded hREC was further documented by the induction of cytokeratins CK13 and CK18. Our results suggest that culture-expanded hREC have the potential to colonize collagen-coated biomaterials and to regenerate epithelial cell types for tracheal tissue engineering.