Em. Negri et al., Architectural remodelling in acute and chronic interstitial lung disease: fibrosis or fibroelastosis?, HISTOPATHOL, 37(5), 2000, pp. 393-401
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Research/Laboratory Medicine & Medical Tecnology","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Aims: Pulmonary fibrosis in acute and chronic lung disease has been much in
vestigated, but little attention has been directed at the elastic tissue in
these situations. Our aim was to verify whether elastic deposition accompa
nies collagen deposition in the repairing process of acute and chronic lung
injury.
Methods and results: We measured, by image analysis, the content of fibres
of the collagenous and elastic systems of the alveolar septum in histologic
al slides sampled from autopsied lungs, using the picrosirius-polarization
method and Weigert's resorcin-fuchsin stain, respectively Five groups were
studied: I, 10 normal patients; II, 10 patients with cardiogenic pulmonary
oedema; III, 23 adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients in the
early phase; IV, 14 ARDS patients in the late fibroproliferative phase; and
V, 10 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. The first two groups were us
ed as controls. The content of fibres of the collagenous and elastic system
s was significantly increased in groups TV and V as compared to the other g
roups.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that deposition of elastic system fibres
is present in the fibroproliferative phase of ARDS and in usual interstitia
l pneumonia and suggest that this event may contribute to the alveolar mech
anical dysfunction and remodelling that occur in acute and chronic intersti
tial lung disease.