Role of Bronchial Epithelial Cells in Pathogenesis of COPD

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Inflammation is believed to play a central role in pathogenesis of COPD. A cigarette smoke (CS) induced inflammatory reaction in bronchial airway is involved at every stage of COPD development (Hogg, NEJM 2004). Bronchioles are specifically prone to injury by CS due to abundance of Clara cells that can metabolize naphthalene (a smoke particle) by the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system (Yildirim, ERS 2008). Our hypothesis is naphthalene-induced site selective injury of Clara cells modulates inflammat…