The role of the endothelium in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Abstract

COPD and asthma are important chronic inflammatory disorders with a high associated morbidity. Much research has concentrated on the role of inflammatory cells, such as the neutrophil, in these diseases, but relatively little focus has been given to the endothelial tissue, through which inflammatory cells must transmigrate to reach the lung parenchyma and cause damage. There is evidence that there is an abnormal amount of endothelial tissue in COPD and asthma and that this tissue and its’ progenitor cells behave in a dysfunctional manner. This article reviews the evidence of the involvement of pulmonary endothelium in COPD and asthma and potential treatment options for this.

Associations between lung and endothelial function in early middle age

“…The difference in strength of associations between the sexes was unexpected. It is not known whether this sex difference would be found in older cohorts or those with established lung or cardiovascular disease: most previous reports on associations between endothelial function and respiratory diseases comprise relatively smaller samples of older men and women and, as far as we are aware, none have investigated sex differences . We can only speculate on the reasons for this effect modification by sex.…”

“…Non‐invasive measures of endothelial function predict the risk of future cardiovascular events . Impaired endothelial function has been reported in both COPD and asthma, and the extent of endothelial dysfunction is associated with the severity of airflow obstruction . Assessing the pulmonary endothelium is difficult, but it has been suggested that airway inflammation causes endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary circulation, which leads to systemic endothelial dysfunction .…”

“…Assessing the pulmonary endothelium is difficult, but it has been suggested that airway inflammation causes endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary circulation, which leads to systemic endothelial dysfunction . Conversely, it is possible that cardiovascular disease causes systemic and pulmonary endothelial dysfunction and thereby influences lung function …”

“…4,5 Impaired endothelial function has been reported in both COPD and asthma, and the extent of endothelial dysfunction is associated with the severity of airflow obstruction. 2,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Assessing the pulmonary endothelium is difficult, but it has been suggested that airway inflammation causes endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary circulation, which leads to systemic endothelial dysfunction. 7 Conversely, it is possible that cardiovascular disease causes systemic and pulmonary endothelial dysfunction and thereby influences lung function.…”

Ендотеліальна Дисфункція Та Морфофункціональні Властивості Еритроцитів При Неалкогольному Стеатогепатиті, Поєднаному З Хронічним Обструктивним Захворюванням Легень, У Хворих На Ожиріння

“…Також доведено, що порушення бронхіальної прохідності значно впливає на стан ендотелію у хворих на хронічне обструктивне за-хворювання легень (ХОЗЛ) [4][5][6]. Продовжується вивчатися роль біологічних факторів, гіпоксії, сис-темного запалення, оксидативного стресу в розви-тку ендотеліальної дисфункції окремо при ХОЗЛ та НАСГ [7][8][9][10].…”