Goblet-Cell Density in Human Bronchus in Chronic Bronchitis

Abstract

\s=b\In 50 patients, up to six mucosal biopsy specimens were taken during bronchoscopy from the medial part of the trachea and from the main and lobe bronchi, and the density of goblet cells was studied using the whole-mount method. No significant differences in density were found between the trachea and the main or lobe bronchi in the normal patients or in the cases with abnormalities. In the normal patients, the interindividual median density was 127 cells per field corresponding to 7,200 cells/sq mm; in chronic bronchitis, there were 174 cells per field corresponding to 9,800 cells/sq mm. The goblet-cell density was found to be significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers. (Arch Otolaryngol 1983;109:673-676) Bronchology constitutes an impor¬ tant part of clinical otolaryngol¬ ogy and basal research of the lower airways and therefore naturally belongs within the domain of otolar¬ yngology.The mucosa of the lower airways comprises pseudostratified, ciliated, cylindrical epithelium with goblet cells, basement membrane, and lami¬ na propria. The submucosa contains

A histopathological and lectin‐histochemical study of the lining epithelium in postoperative maxillary cysts

“…Although a direct correlation between goblet and inflammatory cells could not be established, this study showed that there was a close relationship between the goblet cell number and the various inflammatory cell (neutrophils, T and B lymphocytes and plasma cells) numbers, especially in the pSCE and TE lining epithelia of POMC. These results are similar to the findings reported in other studies involving the trachea (Lundgren et al, 1988), bronchus (Tos and Moller, 1983), and small intestinal mucosa (Ishikawa et al, 1994). On the other hand, the present study showed the lack of a definitive relationship with regard to the SSE lining epithelium in POMC.…”

A bronchoscopic brush biopsy study of large airway mucosal pathology in smokers with chronic bronchitis and in healthy nonsmokers

“…The submucosal mucous glands seem to be hypertrophic in chronic bronchitis and their production of mucus is increased (12,13,19]. In two biopsy studies on the human trachea and bronchi, the authors found that the mean goblet cell density was positively correlated to the tobacco consumption in smokers, and that smokers with chronic bronchitis had the highest values (20,21). Our results from both healthy nonsmokers and patients with chronic bronchitis are, thus, in line with previous reports, indicating that brush biopsies gives meaningful results and can be used for diagnostic purposes.…”

Airway Gland Structure and Function

“…Despite their name, mucous plugs consist of many materials in addition to mucins, and at least four factors are involved in their generation in all airway diseases. One factor is goblet cell metaplasia and hyperplasia in the surface epithelium (10,233,259,485,686). Another is depression of ciliary beating (541,579,670,756), with an associated slowing of mucus transport (21,59,348,443,541,578).…”