ciliation and mucus rheology parameters determined via air-liquid-interface cell cultures in non-smoking, smoking, copd and asthmatic patients

Conditions: Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Asthma; Smoking

Summary: this is a prospective study comparing 4 groups: (1) non-smoking controls, (2) smokers without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd), (3) smokers with copd, (4) severe asthma. bronchial biopsy specimens from each subject will be obtained to produce air-liquid-interface cell cultures. these will then be used to make observations concerning cilia and mucus rheology. this is a first pilot study. the working hypothesis is that the largest group differences will be found for cilia densities; the latter metric was thus chosen as a primary criterion.


Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria for non smoking controls: * the subject has given free and informed consent and signed the consent form * the subject is affiliated with or beneficiary of a medical insurance program * the subject has never smoked * no obstructive breathing disorder (forced expiratory volume at one second (fev1) \>70% of predicted value; the ratio of fev1 to forced vital capacity (fev1/fvc) is \> 0.7) * no known respiratory disease inclusion criteria for smokers without copd: * the subject has given free and informed consent and signed the consent form * the subject is affiliated with or beneficiary of a medical insurance program * smoker or former smoker (\>= 30 pack years) * no obstructive breathing disorder (forced expiratory volume at one second (fev1) \>70% of predicted value; the ratio of fev1 to forced vital capacity (fev1/fvc) is \> 0.7) inclusion criteria for smokers with copd: * the subject has given free and informed consent and signed the consent form * the subject is affiliated with or beneficiary of a medical insurance program * smoker or former smoker (\>= 30 pack years) * subject presenting with copd: fev1/fvc \< 0.7 (based on spirometry values in the medical file and performed in the 3 months prior to inclusion) * the subject requires bronchial fibroscopy (decision made by pneumologist) * copd of grade "2" or "3" according to gold criteria (global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease) inclusion criteria for subjects with severe asthma: * the subject has given free and informed consent and signed the consent form * the subject is affiliated with or beneficiary of a medical insurance program * non-smoker or former smoker (\<10 pack years) * subject presenting with severe asthma: fev1/fvc \>= 0.7 and fev1 \< 80% * the subjects requires bronchial fibroscopy (decision made by pneumologist) exclusion criteria: * the subject has an extensive neoplastic disease * the subject has another active lung disease (tuberculosis, pulmonary interstitium disease, active or recent pulmonary infection) * the subject has had a recent psychiatric disorder (within one year prior to inclusion and documented by a specialist consultation) * emergency situations (object extractions...) * subject consuming illicit drugs or alcohol * the subject is in an exclusion period determined by a previous study * the subject is under judicial protection, or is an adult under any kind of guardianship * it is impossible to correctly inform the patient * the subject cannot fluently read french

Keywords: bronchial epithelial cell mucus air liquid interface