Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Development of an In Vitro Assay to Evaluate Contractile Function of Mesenchymal Cells that Underwent Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: June 10, 2016
Epithelial basement membrane thickening is related to TGF-Beta 1 expression in children with chronic respiratory
Lenka Hoňková1, Jiří Uhlík, Katarína Beránková
1Department of Paediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
Background:
The complex structural changes of bronchial mucosa, known as remodelling, have been considered unique and typical for asthma. However, similar changes were recently found in other chronic respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to compare basement membrane (BM) thickness and the number of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) positive epithelial cells in children with asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and healthy controls.
Methods:
A total of 58 children (11.1 ± 3.9 yr, 55% males) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Endobronchial biopsy was performed in 27 children with asthma, 12 with CF, 12 with PCD and in 7 control patients. We studied the samples using light microscopy to assess BM width, the number of TGF-β1 positive epithelial cells and their correlation.
Results:
We found increased BM thickness (6.65 ± 1.22 μm vs. 2.93 ± 0.75 μm, p < 0.01) and a higher number of TGF-β1 positive epithelial cells (61.39 ± 19.03 vs. 21.57 ± 12.58, p < 0.01) in children with chronic respiratory diseases compared to controls. There was no difference in these parameters between asthma, CF and PCD. A positive correlation between BM thickness and the number of TGF-β1 positive cells was observed in all groups including controls (r = 0.84, p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Increased BM thickness and number of TGF-β1 positive epithelial cells were found in children with asthma, CF and PCD. The number of TGF-β1 positive cells correlated positively with the BM thickness in all groups. We suggest that this might be a common generic feature of bronchial remodelling in chronic respiratory diseases.
More Related Videos
06:54Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
Published on: October 27, 2020
08:42Isolating Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Resected Lung Tissue for Biobanking and Establishing Well-Differentiated Air-Liquid Interface Cultures
Published on: May 26, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease III: Chronic Bronchitis Features
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease II: Emphysema
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
The Bronchial Tree
The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi. At a point called the carina, it bifurcates into two primary bronchi. The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left primary...
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can...