Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 26, 2026
Rapid Viscoelastic Characterization of Airway Mucus Using a Benchtop Rheometer
Published on: April 21, 2022
Mucus plugs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are heterogeneous in size and shape and occur in relatively
Omar N Farooqui1, Brett M Elicker2, Travis S Henry3
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Rationale:
Mucus plugs occur in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but little is known about their size and airway location or whether these mucus plug features change as emphysema worsens.
Methods:
Computed tomographic lung scans from 31 participants with COPD from the SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcomes In COPD Study (SPIROMICS) cohort were analyzed to quantify mucus plug size and airway location and extent of emphysema. Radiologist annotations of mucus plugs were incorporated in an image processing pipeline to generate size and location information. Emphysema was quantified as the percentage of voxels less than -950 Hounsfield units.
Measurements And Main Results:
The length distribution of 563 annotated mucus plugs varied from 2 to 50 mm. The distribution was multimodal, and an 11-mm length defined short ("stubby," ≤11 mm) and long ("stringy," >11 mm) plug phenotypes, with stubby plugs being most common (64%). Mucus plugs localized predominantly to airway generations 6 to 9, and their prevalence was highest in lower lobes. On a lobar basis, the mucus plug number decreased as emphysema percentage increased, whereas average mucus plug volume tended to increase.
Conclusion:
COPD is characterized by mucus plugs of varying size and shape, and emphysematous lung regions may be differentially susceptible to formation of these plugs. The location of mucus plugs in segmental and subsegmental airways in COPD makes them amenable to treatment with inhaled medications or bronchoscopy.
More Related Videos
06:57The WinCF Model - An Inexpensive and Tractable Microcosm of a Mucus Plugged Bronchiole to Study the Microbiology of Lung Infections
Published on: May 8, 2017
07:40Determining Ciliary Function and Membrane Impermeability of the Pseudostratified Lung Airway Epithelium
Published on: February 21, 2025
Related Concept Videos
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...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:16Drugs Used in Upper Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Antihistamines (e.g., Benadryl) block histamines from binding. Histamines are chemicals released during an allergic reaction in the body. As a...
01:24Chronic 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...
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
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...