Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2025
Automated Measurement of Pulmonary Emphysema and Small Airway Remodeling in Cigarette Smoke-exposed Mice
Published on: January 16, 2015
Distinct Morphological Types of Small Airway Obstructions in Smokers with Emphysema and End-Stage Chronic Obstructive
Vincent Geudens1, Charlotte De Fays1,2, Lynn Willems1
1Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery (BREATHE), Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Rationale: The precise nature of small airway obstructions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly understood, especially at early disease stages. Objectives: This study aimed to characterize small airway obstructions and numbers up to the terminal bronchioles (TBs) in smokers with limited emphysema and end-stage COPD. We hypothesized that obstruction subtypes would differ in morphology, nature, and number from early to end-stage COPD. Methods: Whole lungs were inflated and processed from seven control donors (control: declined for extrapulmonary reasons); from eight donors with a history of smoking, of whom three had <5% emphysema (smokers with no emphysema) and five had >5% emphysema (smokers with emphysema); and from eight patients with end-stage COPD. Micro-computed tomography of tissue was used to assess number of TBs, aerated TBs, and number and type of obstructions and was cross-correlated with histopathology. Measurements and Main Results: Obstructions were mainly present in smokers with emphysema and patients with COPD, resulting in less aerated TBs. On the basis of emphysema extent, more nonaerated TBs were present in regions with no emphysema than in regions with mild emphysema; however, destruction was more prominent in mild emphysema. Multiple types of obstructions were identified, comprising occlusions, webs, and collapses. In smokers with emphysema, obstructions primarily comprised webs and occlusions, whereas all obstruction types were present in COPD. On histopathology, obstructions were identified as mucus plugs. Conclusions: Multiple types of obstruction characterized as mucus plugs were identified in smokers with emphysema and patients with end-stage COPD. Their morphology, nature, and number evolved from smokers with emphysema to end-stage COPD. A shift from obstruction-dominant dysfunction to destruction-dominant pathology was found in smokers on the basis of emphysema presence.
More Related Videos
09:07Author Spotlight: Development and Characterization of an In Vitro Model to Study Chronic Cigarette Smoke Exposure and Its Impact on Airway Epithelial Cells in COPD Research
Published on: July 12, 2024
05:48Lung Fixation under Constant Pressure for Evaluation of Emphysema in Mice
Published on: September 26, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
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...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History