HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (17) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hashimoto, M. Articles by Abe, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hashimoto, M. Articles by Abe, S.

Quantitative Analysis of Bronchial Wall Vascularity in the Medium and Small Airways of Patients With Asthma and COPD^*

^* From the Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.

Correspondence to: Hiroshi Tanaka, MD, Third Departments of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan; e-mail: tanakah{at}sapmed.ac.jp

Background: Submucosal hypervascularity is part of airway remodeling in patients with asthma; however, its existence in the small airways and its contribution to airflow limitation remain controversial.

Methods: We investigated bronchial wall vascularity and angiogenic cells between medium airways (inner diameter, 2 to 5 mm) and small airways (inner diameter, < 2 mm) in patients with asthma (n = 9) and COPD (n = 11), and in 8 control subjects. The lung specimens obtained during surgery were immunostained to detect CD31, CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor, and basic fibroblast growth factor.

Results: The number of vessels in both the medium and small airways in patients with asthma was significantly (p < 0.01) increased compared to those in patients with COPD and control subjects, and the percentage of vascularity was significantly (p < 0.01) increased in the medium airways in asthma patients and in the small airways in COPD patients. Patients with moderate asthma showed a greater increase in vascularity than those with mild asthma (p < 0.01), and the number of angiogenic factor-positive cells increased in asthma patients compared with control subjects. In asthmatic subjects, inverse correlations were found between FEV₁ percentage of predicted and the number of vessels (r = –0.85; p < 0.01), or the percentage of vascularity (r = –0.72; p < 0.03) in the inner area of the medium airways, but they were not found for the small airways. In COPD patients, no correlations were demonstrated.

Conclusions: The number of vessels in the medium and small airways in asthma patients shows a greater increase than those in COPD patients, and the vascular area in the small airways is increased in COPD patients but not in asthma patients. Enhanced vascularity in the inner area of the medium airways, but not in the small airways, might contribute to airflow limitation in asthma patients.

Key Words: airway remodeling • angiogenesis • asthma • COPD • vascular endothelial growth factor

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Siddiqui, F. Hollins, S. Saha, and C. E. Brightling Inflammatory cell microlocalisation and airway dysfunction: cause and effect? Eur. Respir. J., December 1, 2007; 30(6): 1043 - 1056. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]