Lung Macrophage Populations and Functions in COPD-Susceptible Smoker
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease that affects only a subset of those who smoke tobacco. Recent studies have documented that the susceptible smokers are more likely to show evidence of air trapping before any other pathologies of COPD manifest themselves. However, the underlying biology that predisposes the non-obstructed smokers with air trapping to develop COPD has not been elucidated. In COPD, there is a characteristic pattern of inflammation involving both innate and adaptive immunity with increased numbers of macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the lungs. A similar pattern of airway inflammation has also been described in smokers without airflow obstruction. However, it is unclear whether the extent and nature of airway inflammation are different in the susceptible smokers (with air trapping) compared to the smokers who are not susceptible (without air trapping). Lung macrophages are known to play a key role in orchestrating chronic airway inflammation in COPD. They are essential immune effector cells that are pivotal in both airway innate and adaptive immune responses to inhaled pollutants including tobacco smoke. However, the study of human lung macrophages has been difficult due to their wide diversity and plasticity as well as their auto fluorescence making their examination using the customary fluorescent antibody approaches such as flow cytometry challenging, particularly in those with history of smoking. The main objective of this proposal is to develop methodology and preliminary data that would lay the foundation for a longitudinal cohort study to examine the underlying biological processes, in particular lung myeloid cells characteristics, that may render the smokers with air trapping their susceptibility to develop COPD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1142150
Entities
People
- Mehrdad Arjomandi
Organizations
- University of California, San Francisco