RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Lack of type II cells and emphysema in human lungs
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 316
OP 323
DO 10.1183/09031936.93.04030316
VO 4
IS 3
A1 CJ Otto-Verberne
A1 AA Ten Have-Opbroek
A1 LN Willems
A1 C Franken
A1 JA Kramps
A1 JH Dijkman
YR 1991
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/4/3/316.abstract
AB Ten surgically removed human lungs or lobes were studied, to assess the relationship between the abundance of type II alveolar epithelial cells and the degree of emphysema. Type II cell abundance (total number as well as percentage of the total parenchymal cell population) was determined in sections of randomly selected tissue samples of these lungs or lobes by using a type II cell specific antibody specific anti-lavage serum (SALS-Hu), which recognizes surfactant-associated proteins. In these tissue samples we also determined the degree of emphysema with the aid of a number of morphometric parameters, destructive index (DI), mean linear intercept (Lm in mm), and the number of normal alveolar attachments on (pre)terminal bronchioles (normal AA.mm.1). We subsequently calculated the Spearman rank correlation coefficients (rs) between the abundance of type II cells and parameters for emphysema. We found a significant negative correlation between the percentage of type II cells and DI at tissue sample level (rs = 0.55; p = 0.02). We also calculated correlation coefficients between the abundance of type II cells and the degree of small airways disease in (pre)terminal and respiratory bronchioles (SADscore), lung function, age and smoking habits. The results suggest a role for type II cells in the pathogenesis of emphysema.