Cystic Fibrosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cystic Fibrosis, including details on symptoms, genetics, treatment, information.

Structural changes to airway smooth muscle in cystic fibrosis.

Hays SR, Ferrando RE, Carter R, Wong HH, Woodruff PG

Moffitt Hospital, 505 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

BACKGROUND: Chronic airway obstruction is characteristic of cystic fibrosis (CF) but there are few studies of airway smooth muscle remodelling in CF. METHODS: Airway smooth muscle content and mean airway smooth muscle cell size were measured by applying design-based stereology to bronchoscopic biopsy specimens obtained from seven subjects with CF and 15 healthy controls. RESULTS: The smooth muscle content increased by 63% in subjects with CF (mean (SD) 0.173 (0.08) v 0.106 (0.042) mm(3) smooth muscle/mm(3) submucosa, mean difference -0.067; 95% CI -0.12 to -0.013, p = 0.017) but there was no increase in mean cell size (2705 (351) v 2654 (757) microm(3), mean difference -51; 95% CI -687 to 585, p = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle cells without hypertrophy and suggest that accumulation of airway smooth muscle cells may contribute to airway narrowing and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in CF.

Published 2 March 2005 in Thorax, 60(3): 226-8.
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