View article

Pre-COPD has been put forward as potential precursor stage of COPD. We have previously demonstrated that - compared to control - there is a lower number of terminal bronchioles (TB) in pre-COPD. Interalveolar pores are thought to be important to equalize pressure between alveoli, especially in chronic airway obstruction, to prevent retro-obstructive alveolar collapse. However, their morphology and relation to small airway disease in (pre-)COPD is not well understood.

We collected surgical specimens (lobectomy or transplantation) from patients with pre-COPD (n=10), COPD GOLD I (n=6), GOLD II (n=6), GOLD III/IV (n=7), and controls (n=7). MicroCT was performed on tissue samples, for quantification of the number of TB/mL, number of alveolar attachments and surface density. On the same tissue, scanning electron microscopy was performed to quantify the size and number of interalveolar pores on 20 pictures …