Quantitative analysis of airway obstruction in lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, cystic lung disease with progressive pulmonary function loss caused by progressively proliferating LAM cells. The degree of airway obstruction has not been well investigated within the pathogenesis of LAM. Using a combination of ex vivo computed tomography (CT), microCT and histology, the site and nature of airway obstruction in LAM explant lungs was compared with matched control lungs (n=5 each). The total number of airways per generation, total airway counts, terminal bronchioles number and surface density were compared in LAM versus control. Ex vivo CT analysis demonstrated a reduced number of airways from generation 7 on (p<0.0001) in LAM compar…
FVIII production by human lung microvascular endothelial cells
While extrahepatic factor VIII (FVIII) synthesis suffices for hemostasis, the extrahepatic production sites are not well defined. We therefore investigated the ability of the human lungs to produce FVIII. Lungs from heart-beating donors who were declined for transplantation were perfused and ventilated in an isolated reperfusion model for 2 hours. A progressive accumulation of FVIII and von Willebrand factor (VWF) was recorded in the perfusion medium in 3 of 4 experiments. By contrast, factor V, fibrinogen, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels remained constant during the perfusion period, indicating that the accumulation of FVIII and VWF was not due to diffusion from the intercellular medium …