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Chronic inflammatory airway diseases: the central role of the epithelium revisited
Author(s) -
Gohy S. T.,
Hupin C.,
Pilette C.,
Ladjemi M. Z.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical and experimental allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.462
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2222
pISSN - 0954-7894
DOI - 10.1111/cea.12712
Subject(s) - respiratory epithelium , mucociliary clearance , airway , immunology , epithelium , immune system , medicine , asthma , respiratory tract , respiratory system , lung , pathology , surgery
Summary The respiratory epithelium plays a critical role for the maintenance of airway integrity and defense against inhaled particles. Physical barrier provided by apical junctions and mucociliary clearance clears inhaled pathogens, allergens or toxics, to prevent continuous stimulation of adaptive immune responses. The “chemical barrier”, consisting of several anti‐microbial factors such as lysozyme and lactoferrin, constitutes another protective mechanism of the mucosae against external aggressions before adaptive immune response starts. The reconstruction of damaged respiratory epithelium is crucial to restore this barrier. This review examines the role of the airway epithelium through recent advances in health and chronic inflammatory diseases in the lower conducting airways (in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Better understanding of normal and altered epithelial functions continuously provides new insights into the physiopathology of chronic airway diseases and should help to identify new epithelial‐targeted therapies.