Premium
Key role of the epithelium in chronic upper airways diseases
Author(s) -
Gohy Sophie,
Hupin Cloé,
Ladjemi Maha Zohra,
Hox Valérie,
Pilette Charles
Publication year - 2020
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.13539
Subject(s) - epithelium , respiratory epithelium , airway , immunology , immune system , mucociliary clearance , respiratory tract , medicine , respiratory system , biology , pathology , lung , anatomy , surgery
The respiratory epithelium of the upper airways is a first‐line defence against inhaled irritants, pathogens and allergens. It ensures a physical barrier provided by apical junctions and mucociliary clearance to avoid excessive activation of the immune system. The epithelium also forms a chemical and immunological barrier, extensively equipped to protect the airways against external aggressions before the adaptive immune system is required. Under normal circumstances, the epithelium is capable of recovering rapidly after damage. This manuscript reviews these main properties of the upper airway epithelium as well as its reported impairments in chronic inflammatory diseases. The knowledge on normal epithelial functions and their dysregulation in upper airway diseases should help to design new epithelial‐targeted treatments.