Airway epithelial innate host defence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Amatngalim, G.D. (2018)

Doctoral Thesis

The disease is characterized by a progressive and largely irreversible decline in lung function, which is associated with long-term airway exposures to cytotoxic particles and gasses, such as cigarette smoke.
Microbial colonization and infections are an important pathophysiological aspect in COPD patients. However, the underlying mechanisms linking smoking with microbial colonization and infections in COPD are incompletely understood. The airway epithelium is the first target of inhaled cigarette smoke. Furthermore, epithelial cells are the first defense lining of the respiratory tract that prevents microbial colonization and infections. Therefore, alterations in host defense and airway epithelial remodeling may contribute to COPD development and progression.

In this thesis, studies are presented in which the impact of cigarette smoke exposure and COPD disease status on the innate host defense functions of the airway epithelium are explored. This was done by using cell culture experiments in which the effect of cigarette smoke was examined, or in which epithelial cultures of COPD patients and non-COPD (ex)smokers were compared.

• COPD
• Airway epithelial cells
• Innate immunity
• Antimicrobial peptides

• All authors: Amatngalim, G.D.
• Supervisor: Hiemstra, P.S.
• Committee: Kooten, C. van; Yazdanbakhsh, M.; Schalwijk, J.; Beekman, J.M.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Faculty of Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University
• Date: 2018-10-11
• ISBN (print): 9789082917901