RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Epithelial mesenchymal transition in fibroblastic foci of different fibrosing lung diseases: Repair or remodeling?
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 3520
VO 42
IS Suppl 57
A1 Alexandre Todorovic Fabro
A1 Iris Halbwedl
A1 Edwin Roger Parras Cuentas
A1 Vera Luiza Capelozzi
A1 Helmut Popper
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/3520.abstract
AB Fibroblastic foci (FF), a feature of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), are also found in smoking related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF). Recently studies suggested epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during formation of FF. To investigate the EMT in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF-UIP), non-IPF-UIP and SRIF on immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy and confocal microscopy using quantitative methods, 19 patients with IPF, 17 with non-IPF, and 16 with SRIF who underwent lung biopsy and lobectomy were included. Epithelial marker was detected in 0.65% of the cells within FF in IPF, contrasting with 3.65% of cells in SRIF and 10.93% cells in non-IPF (p<0.01). The cells expressing mesenchymal marker within FF was present in 58.60% in IPF, 83.90 % in SRIF (p<0.01) and 81.86% in non-IPF (p<0.01). Epithelial marker was expressed by 66,5% of the hyperplastic epithelioid cells overlying FF from IPF, whereas only 1.91% of the cells expressed mesenchymal marker. Epithelial and mesenchymal markers were expressed respectively by 88.7% and 6.4% of the hyperplastic epithelioid cells overlying FF in SRIF; this difference was different from IPF (p<0.01 and p=0.003, respectively). 85% of hyperplastic epithelioid cells in non-IPF expressed epithelial marker whereas mesenchymal marker was expressed by 3.37% of the cells; when compared to IPF (p<0.01). Co-expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers by epithelioid cells overlying FF was detected in 1.82% of cells in IPF, 8.46% of cells in SRIF and 6.87% of cells in non-IPF (p<0.01).These findings suggest that EMT may be more a repair process in SRIF and non-IPF than a remodeling irreversible and progressive fibrosis in IPF.