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Apoptosis of alveolar wall cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with pulmonary emphysema is involved in emphysematous changes

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Summary

This study explored the role of apoptosis of alveolar wall cells of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with pulmonary emphysema in the pathogenesis of emphysema. The subjects were divided into three groups: COPD patients with pulmonary emphysema (COPD group), asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers. Lung tissues were harvested and histologically assessed. TUNEL assay was employed to determine the apoptotic cells. The expression of PCNA, Bax and SP-C in the lung alveolar wall cells were immunohistochemically determined. SP-C immunofluorescence staining was used to identify type II alveolar cells in the TUNEL-positive cells. The mean linear interval (MLI), mean alveoli number (MAN) and mean alveoli area (MAA) in COPD group were significantly different as compared with those in asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers, respectively (P<0.01). The proliferation index (PI), apoptosis index (AI) and the percentage of Bax-positive cells in COPD group were significantly greater than those of asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers (P<0.01). However, the percentage of SP-C-positive cells was significantly lower in COPD group than in asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers (P<0.01). Most of the TUNEL-positive cells expressed SP-C. In COPD group, the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells, especially apoptosis of type-II cells, may take part in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Up-regulation of Bax expression may be responsible for the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells in the COPD patients with pulmonary emphysema.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, He’nan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450003, China

    Hongmei Liu  (刘红梅), Lijun Ma  (马利军), Jizhen Wu  (吴纪珍), Kai Wang  (王 凯) & Xianliang Chen  (陈献亮)

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  1. Hongmei Liu  (刘红梅)
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  2. Lijun Ma  (马利军)
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  3. Jizhen Wu  (吴纪珍)
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  4. Kai Wang  (王 凯)
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  5. Xianliang Chen  (陈献亮)
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Additional information

This project was supported by a program of medical research of Henan Province (No. 200902012).

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Liu, H., Ma, L., Wu, J. et al. Apoptosis of alveolar wall cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with pulmonary emphysema is involved in emphysematous changes. J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 29, 466–469 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-009-0415-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-009-0415-7

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