Ultrastructure of the reticular basement membrane in asthmatic adults, children and infants

Reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening in asthma is considered to be the result of subepithelial fibrosis. Thus, the RBM in asthma should contain an excess of fibrils identified as interstitial collagen and the ratio of fibril to matrix should be increased above normal levels. Electron micrographs of the RBM were compared with those of interstitial collagen deeper in the bronchial wall using endobronchial biopsy specimens from adult asthmatics (aged 18-41 yrs (n = 10)), children with difficult asthma (aged 6-16 yrs (n = 10)), wheezy infants with reversible airflow limitation (aged 0.3-2 yrs (n = 10)) and age-matched nonasthmatic controls: 10 adults, nine children and nine symptomatic infants with normal lung function. Fibrils in the RBM were significantly thinner (median (range) width 39 (30-52) nm versus 59 (48-73) nm), and fewer fibrils were banded than in the interstitial collagen (ratio of banded to non-banded fibrils 0.08 (0-0.17) versus 0.22 (0-1.3)). The ratio of fibrils to matrix in the thickened RBM of asthmatics did not differ from that of their respective controls (1.34 (0.63-2.49) versus 1.18 (0.31-2.6)). The ratio of fibril to matrix in the thickened reticular basement membrane of asthmatics is normal, and, contrary to what is expected in fibrosis, the fibrils do not resemble those of interstitial collagen.