Pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis: possible importance of alteration in epithelial surface topography

As the pathogenesis in cystic fibrosis (CF) has been considered to lie in a disturbance in the behavior of secretions, particularly mucins, from exocrine glands, it has been proposed that an alteration in surface topography (form, number or distribution of microvilli or blebs) of epithelial cells lining ducts could impair distribution leading to retention of mucus leading to the clinical phenotype. Scanning electronmicroscopy of human epithelial suspension cultures now offers an opportunity to evaluate the role of plasmalemma topography in CF.