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Ultrastructure of the reticular basement membrane in asthmatic adults, children and infants

¹ Lung Pathology, Depts of Gene Therapy, and ² Respiratory Paediatrics, Imperial College at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK. ³ Dept of Paediatrics, Skin and Allergy Hospital, University of Helsinki Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. ⁴ Dept of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.

CORRESPONDENCE: P. K. Jeffery, Lung Pathology, Imperial College, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK. Fax: 44 2073518435. E-mail: p.jeffery{at}imperial.ac.uk

Keywords: Asthma, reticular basement membrane, subepithelial fibrosis, transmission electron microscopy, ultrastructure

Received: May 12, 2005
Accepted April 11, 2006

Reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening in asthma is considered to be the result of subepithelial fibrosis. Thus, the RBM in asthma should contain an excess of fibrils identified as interstitial collagen and the ratio of fibril to matrix should be increased above normal levels.

Electron micrographs of the RBM were compared with those of interstitial collagen deeper in the bronchial wall using endobronchial biopsy specimens from adult asthmatics (aged 18–41 yrs (n = 10)), children with difficult asthma (aged 6–16 yrs (n = 10)), wheezy infants with reversible airflow limitation (aged 0.3–2 yrs (n = 10)) and age-matched nonasthmatic controls: 10 adults, nine children and nine symptomatic infants with normal lung function.

Fibrils in the RBM were significantly thinner (median (range) width 39 (30–52) nm versus 59 (48–73) nm), and fewer fibrils were banded than in the interstitial collagen (ratio of banded to non-banded fibrils 0.08 (0–0.17) versus 0.22 (0–1.3)). The ratio of fibrils to matrix in the thickened RBM of asthmatics did not differ from that of their respective controls (1.34 (0.63–2.49) versus 1.18 (0.31–2.6)).

The ratio of fibril to matrix in the thickened reticular basement membrane of asthmatics is normal, and, contrary to what is expected in fibrosis, the fibrils do not resemble those of interstitial collagen.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Saglani, D. N. Payne, J. Zhu, Z. Wang, A. G. Nicholson, A. Bush, and P. K. Jeffery Early Detection of Airway Wall Remodeling and Eosinophilic Inflammation in Preschool Wheezers Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., November 1, 2007; 176(9): 858 - 864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]