RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 An in depth study of morphological small airway changes in explant lungs with end stage COPD
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 4622
DO 10.1183/13993003.congress-2022.4622
VO 60
IS suppl 66
A1 C de Fays
A1 V Geudens
A1 H Beeckmans
A1 A Vermaut
A1 I Gyselinck
A1 T Goos
A1 M Vermant
A1 J Kaes
A1 C Aelbrecht
A1 K Maes
A1 Y Mohamady
A1 L Willems
A1 L Aversa
A1 S Everaerts
A1 J E Mcdonough
A1 L De Sadeleer
A1 S Gohy
A1 W A Wuyts
A1 W Janssens
A1 L J Ceulemans
A1 D E Van Raemdonck
A1 R Vos
A1 C Pilette
A1 G Gayan-Ramirez
A1 B M Vanaudenaerde
YR 2022
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/60/suppl_66/4622.abstract
AB Although the most known hallmarks of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are alveolar emphysema and chronic bronchitis also small airways are affected in COPD. We aim to describe the morphological alterations of the small airways occurring in inflated explant lungs with end stage COPD and compare them with non-used donor lungs.Bronchioles morphometrics of 3 samples (cores)/lung of 4 COPD lungs and 3 control lungs were assessed using a high resolution microCT (10µm resolution) and airway segmentation with ITK software. Disease severity was measured by alveolar surface density which gradually decreases in emphysematous samples.Within the control (1 male/ 2 female, mean age of 59y) and COPD lungs (1 male/ 3 female, mean age 63y, mean FEV1 39%), we observed a decrease in number of Terminal Bronchioles/mL (p<0.0001), number of generations/ml (p=0.003) and mean bronchiolar diameter (p=0.084), and an increase (p=0.0009) in mean bronchiolar branch length, with decreasing surface density (fig. 1A).Small airway alterations in end stage COPD include a decrease in number of small airways, next to a stretching (longer) and narrowing of the remaining small airways which will impact on the air flow and eventually result in airflow obstruction (fig 1B). FootnotesCite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 4622.This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.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).