TY - JOUR T1 - Characterization of well-differentiated bronchial epithelial cells derived from severe COPD patients JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA3700 VL - 58 IS - suppl 65 SP - PA3700 AU - Hong Guo-Parke AU - Dermot Linden AU - Ian Scott AU - Helen Killick AU - Lee Borthwick AU - Andrew Fisher AU - Sinéad Weldon AU - Clifford Taggart AU - Joseph Kidney Y1 - 2021/09/05 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3700.abstract N2 - Airway epithelium plays a pivotal role in maintaining immune homeostasis and orchestrates the innate and adaptive responses of the lung against inhaled insults. However, the aetiology of pathological changes on airway epithelium during COPD pathogenesis is not completely understood, in particular factors linked to the susceptibility to severe disease. To address this, we characterized well-differentiated primary bronchial epithelial cells (WD-PBECs) derived from severe COPD patients undergoing transplantation and age-matched healthy controls employing an air-liquid interface (ALI) 3D in vitro/ex-vivo culture model.WD-PBECs derived from severe COPD patients showed an indistinguishable morphology compared with controls. However, aberrant epithelium differentiation in terms of a decrease in the number of ciliated cells and an increase in the number of Club cells and goblet cells in was evidenced in COPD cultures compared with healthy controls. Tight junction integrity was also compromised in the former. Moreover, there was enhanced basolateral secretion of IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, IL-1alpha, IP-10, CCL1 as well as altered secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines by COPD cells. Our data demonstrate that primary bronchial epithelial cells from patients with severe COPD show alterations in individual cell types during differentiation and enhanced secretion of inflammatory mediators including an alteration in Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Such changes in COPD bronchial epithelium during severe disease may represent an underlying perturbation in cellular function in these cells which may contribute to inflammation and infection in the COPD airways.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3700.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). ER -