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Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with structural changes notably of the respiratory epithelium. Aberrant differentiation and mesenchymal transition of the airway epithelium, notably in response to TGF-β, has been suggested in COPD. Objective To address differentiation status of the airway epithelium in COPD. Methods Primary broncho-epithelial cultures were carried out in air-liquid interface (ALI-HBEC), from lung samples of 28 patients with COPD (surgery for a solitary nodule, or transplantation) or controls. ALI-HBEC were assayed for expression of epithelial (zonula occludens-1 and E-cadherin) and mesenchymal (vimentin) proteins by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot. Results Epithelial markers (E-cadherin and ZO-1) were both decreased in ALI-HBEC from COPD patients (p=0.004 and p=0.03 respectively, mild or moderate COPD versus controls and p= 0.04 and p=0.006, severe COPD versus controls; Mann-Whitney U tests). In addition, ALI-HBEC from COPD patients showed a significant increase in vimentin expression (p= 0.03, severe COPD versus controls). Moreover, increased vimentin expression was correlated to airflow limitation (vimentin versus FEV1; r=-0.56, p=0.03). Conclusions These data show that the bronchial epithelium from COPD patients display in culture, decreased expression of markers of epithelial differentiation, and suggest that in this model the COPD epithelium may retain abnormal features in vitro.
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Gohy, S., Detry, B., Bouzin, C., Fregimilika, C., & Pilette, C. (2013). Decreased differentiation of primary bronchial epithelial cells from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. GSK awards, Société belge de pneumologie. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/200099