Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026
A Reversible, Non-invasive Method for Airway Resistance Measurements and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Sampling in Mice
Published on: April 13, 2010
Ventilation Inhomogeneity and Bronchial Basement Membrane Changes in Chronic Neutrophilic Airway Inflammation
Václav Koucký1, Jiří Uhlík2, Lenka Hoňková3
1Department of Paediatrics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Histology and Embryology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic.
Background:
Bronchial epithelial reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening occurs in diseases with both eosinophilic (allergic bronchial asthma [BA]) and neutrophilic (cystic fibrosis [CF] and primary ciliary dyskinesia [PCD]) chronic airway inflammation; however, the lung function and airway remodeling relation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to test whether ventilation inhomogeneity is related to RBM thickening.
Methods:
Multiple breath washout test, endobronchial biopsy, and BAL were performed in 24 children with CF, 11 with PCD, 15 with BA, and in 19 control subjects. Lung clearance index at 2.5% (1/40th) of starting nitrogen concentration (LCI2.5), RBM thickness, and lavage fluid cytology were quantified; their mutual associations were studied by using Spearman rank correlations (r).
Results:
In asthma, ventilation inhomogeneity (mean ± SD) was mild (LCI2.5, 9.3 ± 1.4 vs 7.9 ± 0.9 in control subjects; P = .0391), and the RBM thickened (5.26 ± 0.98 μm vs 3.12 ± 0.62 μm in control subjects; P < .0001). No relation between RBM thickness and ventilation inhomogeneity or lavage cytology was found. In CF and PCD, RBM thickness was similar to that in asthma (4.54 ± 0.66 μm and 5.27 ± 1.11 μm, respectively), but ventilation inhomogeneity was significantly higher (LCI2.5, 12.5 ± 2.4 and 11.8 ± 2.5). Both in CF and PCD, RBM thickness correlated with LCI2.5 (r = 0.594, P = .015; r = 0.821, P = .023). In PCD only, RBM thickness was also related to the number of neutrophils in lavage fluid (r = 0.821; P = .023).
Conclusions:
Lung function impairment in relation to RBM thickness was milder in BA than in CF and PCD. In asthma, ventilation inhomogeneity did not correlate with RBM thickness, whereas it did in CF and PCD. This outcome suggests a different structure-function relation in these diseases.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:26Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification
Additionally, environmental and genetic factors play crucial roles in determining an individual's susceptibility to asthma and the severity of their condition.
Critical processes in asthma pathophysiology include:
01:20Asthma: Pathogenesis and Management
Asthma is classified as allergic and non-allergic. Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander trigger allergic asthma, while factors like cold air, intense emotions, or exercise can induce non-allergic asthma.
01:19Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation
Alveolar Surface Tension
The alveolar fluid lines the luminal surface of the alveoli and exerts a force called surface tension. This force is caused by the polar water molecules in the liquid being more strongly attracted to each...
01:23The 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...
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...