Chest ACCP Education Calendar
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Free
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (3)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Green, F. H. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Carroll, N. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Green, F. H. Y.
Right arrow Articles by Carroll, N. G.
(Chest. 2006;130:1025-1033.)
© 2006 American College of Chest Physicians

Abnormalities of the Bronchial Arteries in Asthma*

Francis H. Y. Green, MBChB, MD; John C. Butt, MD; Alan L. James, MBBS, FRACP, MD and Neil G. Carroll, PhD

* From the Respiratory Research Group and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Dr. Green), University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Pathology (Dr. Butt), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; and West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute/Department of Pulmonary Physiology (Drs. James and Carroll), Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia.

Correspondence to: Francis H. Y. Green, MBChB, MD, Respiratory Research Group, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; e-mail: fgreen{at}ucalgary.ca

Abstract

Study objectives: The bronchial arteries supply systemic blood to the airways, tracheobronchial lymph nodes, and nerves. Their structure has not been studied in patients with asthma.

Design: Case-control study of pathologic changes of bronchial arteries in asthma.

Participants and methods: Postmortem lungs were examined from three case groups: (1) fatal asthma (n = 12), death due to asthma; (2) nonfatal asthma (n = 12), asthmatic and death due to nonrespiratory causes; and (3) nonasthmatic control subjects (n = 12), no history of asthma and death due to nonrespiratory causes. In bronchial arteries with outer diameters of 0.1 to 1.0 mm, the areas of lumen, intima, and media were measured and compared between case groups.

Results: There were no significant differences in artery size (outer diameter) or in medial area between the three groups. In the two asthma groups, the intimal area was increased (p < 0.05), with a corresponding decrease in luminal area compared with the control group. There was a significant effect of gender, age, and smoking on intimal area. In the asthma cases, the area of bronchial artery intima was related to duration of asthma (p < 0.05), and this increase was associated with smooth muscle proliferation, reduplication, and calcification of the elastica, but not with inflammatory cell infiltration.

Conclusions: While the pathophysiologic significance of these changes is uncertain, the relation to duration of asthma, age, and smoking suggests a secondary response to chronic airway disease.

Key Words: asthma pathology • bronchial arteries • smoking






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the American College of Chest Physicians.