TY - JOUR T1 - Computed tomography quantification of airway remodelling in normal ageing subjects: a cross-sectional study JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 1167 LP - 1170 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00215314 VL - 45 IS - 4 AU - Sébastien Bommart AU - Grégory Marin AU - Arnaud Bourdin AU - Marie Pierre Revel AU - François Klein AU - Maurice Hayot AU - Isabelle Vachier AU - Pascal Chanez AU - Marie Christine Picot AU - Jacques Mercier AU - Nicolas Molinari AU - Hélène Vernhet-Kovacsik Y1 - 2015/04/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/45/4/1167.abstract N2 - Airway remodelling inducing structural and functional decline is a main factor leading to clinical disablement in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1]. However, whether airway remodelling is also a potential feature of the normal healing process in ordinary lifelong environmental exposure and chronic endogen damage due to senescence is not well elucidated [2]. The relationship between ageing and development of COPD is complex. On one hand, while there is a higher prevalence of COPD in the elderly, ageing is not the direct cause of COPD; on the other hand, it does increase the susceptibility of the lung to extrinsic damage [3].Airway remodelling with age is a heterogeneous process having a particular tropism towards distal airways http://ow.ly/FeZnNWe thank all the volunteers who participated in this research study; Melina Bouet, Claire Belloc and Erika Nogue for logistical assistance and data management; and Pamela Goodman-Stephens for her linguistic contribution (all CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France). ER -