scholarly journals Fibrocyte accumulation in the airway walls of COPD patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 1802173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Dupin ◽  
Matthieu Thumerel ◽  
Elise Maurat ◽  
Florence Coste ◽  
Edmée Eyraud ◽  
...  

The remodelling mechanism and cellular players causing persistent airflow limitation in COPD remain largely elusive. We have recently demonstrated that circulating fibrocytes, a rare population of fibroblast-like cells produced by the bone marrow stroma, are increased in COPD patients during an exacerbation. We aimed to quantify fibrocyte density in situ in bronchial specimens from both control subjects and COPD patients, to define associations with relevant clinical, functional and computed tomography (CT) parameters, and to investigate the effect of the epithelial microenvironment on fibrocyte survival in vitro (“Fibrochir” study).A total of 17 COPD patients and 25 control subjects, all requiring thoracic surgery, were recruited. Using co-immunostaining and image analysis, we identified CD45+ FSP1+ cells as tissue fibrocytes, and quantified their density in distal and proximal bronchial specimens. Fibrocytes, cultured from the blood samples of six COPD patients, were exposed to primary bronchial epithelial cell secretions from control subjects or COPD patients.We demonstrate that fibrocytes are increased in both distal and proximal tissue specimens of COPD patients. The density of fibrocytes is negatively correlated with lung function parameters and positively correlated with bronchial wall thickness as assessed by CT scan. A high density of distal bronchial fibrocytes predicts the presence of COPD with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 70%. Exposure of fibrocytes to COPD epithelial cell supernatant favours cell survival.Our results thus demonstrate an increased density of fibrocytes within the bronchi of COPD patients, which may be promoted by epithelial-derived survival-mediating factors.

1994 ◽  
Vol 102 (12) ◽  
pp. 1068-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
X Y Yu ◽  
N Takahashi ◽  
T L Croxton ◽  
E W Spannhake

1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (2) ◽  
pp. L230-L238 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Romberger ◽  
P. Pladsen ◽  
L. Claassen ◽  
M. Yoshida ◽  
J. D. Beckmann ◽  
...  

Fibronectin (Fn) is involved in the migration of epithelial cells in re-epithelialization of wounds. Epithelial cell-derived Fn is particularly potent as a chemotactic factor for bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) in vitro. Thus modulation of airway epithelial cell Fn may be a key aspect of airway repair. Insulin is both an important growth factor and known chemotactic factor for cultured BECs. We postulated that insulin may modulate Fn production of cultured BECs. We examined this hypothesis utilizing bovine BECs in culture with serum-free media with and without insulin. BECs grown in media without insulin released more Fn into culture supernatants and contained more Fn in cell layers than cells grown with insulin. Labeling of cells with [35S]methionine demonstrated an increase in new protein production and Fn mRNA expression was increased. Increased Fn in BEC cultures without insulin was associated with an increase in active transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) release as measured by a standard bioassay. Increased BEC Fn in cultures without insulin was partially inhibited by exposure of cultures to TGF-beta antibody. Thus insulin appears to modulate BEC Fn production in vitro in part through a TGF-beta-dependent mechanism. Insulin may be involved in airway repair mechanisms through modulation of epithelial cell Fn production.


2003 ◽  
Vol 89 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Sabatini ◽  
Michela Silvestri ◽  
Rosa Sale ◽  
Laura Serpero ◽  
Maria E. Raynal ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document