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Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Vlahovic, G; Russell, ML; Mercer, RR; Crapo, JD
Published in: Am J Respir Crit Care Med
December 1999

Emphysema is commonly defined as enlargement of airspaces distal to terminal bronchioles accompanied by destruction of alveolar walls, but without obvious fibrosis. Morphometric techniques were used to correlate changes in components of the alveolar septa surrounding enlarged airspaces in human emphysema with the mean linear intercept (Lm) of those airspaces. Alveolar and capillary surface density decreased with increased Lm, but the ratio of these surface densities to each other remained close to normal for mild to moderate increases in Lm. This suggests that the decreased gas exchange observed in emphysema is initiated by a total loss of septa and not by selective pathological changes of the microvasculature. Increases in septal wall thickness directly correlated with increases in Lm. For the mild to moderate emphysema lesions included in this study, an increase of 100% in Lm correlated with a 130% increase in the relative volume of the alveolar septal interstitium. Significant increases occurred in both elastin (0.14 to 0.56 microm(3)/microm(2) basement membrane [BM]) and collagen (0.49 to 1. 63 microm(3)/microm(2) BM). The increase in elastin and collagen raises the possibility of a remodeling process in the connective matrix in alveolar walls. Whether or not the new connective tissue represents a disordered, nonfunctional regional response needs to be determined.

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Published In

Am J Respir Crit Care Med

DOI

ISSN

1073-449X

Publication Date

December 1999

Volume

160

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2086 / 2092

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Respiratory System
  • Pulmonary Emphysema
  • Pulmonary Alveoli
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Elastin
  • Connective Tissue
  • Collagen
 

Citation

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Vlahovic, G., Russell, M. L., Mercer, R. R., & Crapo, J. D. (1999). Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 160(6), 2086–2092. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.160.6.9706031
Vlahovic, G., M. L. Russell, R. R. Mercer, and J. D. Crapo. “Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema.Am J Respir Crit Care Med 160, no. 6 (December 1999): 2086–92. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.160.6.9706031.
Vlahovic G, Russell ML, Mercer RR, Crapo JD. Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999 Dec;160(6):2086–92.
Vlahovic, G., et al. “Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema.Am J Respir Crit Care Med, vol. 160, no. 6, Dec. 1999, pp. 2086–92. Pubmed, doi:10.1164/ajrccm.160.6.9706031.
Vlahovic G, Russell ML, Mercer RR, Crapo JD. Cellular and connective tissue changes in alveolar septal walls in emphysema. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999 Dec;160(6):2086–2092.

Published In

Am J Respir Crit Care Med

DOI

ISSN

1073-449X

Publication Date

December 1999

Volume

160

Issue

6

Start / End Page

2086 / 2092

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Respiratory System
  • Pulmonary Emphysema
  • Pulmonary Alveoli
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Elastin
  • Connective Tissue
  • Collagen