Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, respiratory infections and airway inflammation: the role of epithelial cells

Completed

Conditions: COPD
emphysema
10006436

Registration Number: NL-OMON35677

Lead Sponsor: eids Universitair Medisch Centrum

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

-FEV1 50 to 60% of predicted value measured after inhaled bronchodilators
-A history of bronchial infections shown by at least 3 positive sputum cultures
-Stable clinical condition in the preceding 3 months

Exclusion Criteria

-Asthma or any other lung disease
-Use of oral steroids in the preceding 4 weeks

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Bronchial biopsies will be analyzed by immunohistochemistry and digital image<br /><br>analysis for inflammatory cells. To allow further molecular and cellular<br /><br>characterization of Z-AATD-specific features of cultured bronchial epithelial<br /><br>cells, we will optimize a novel system to obtain bronchial epithelial cell<br /><br>lines with extended growth properties based on the introduction of the<br /><br>catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) in these cells. Recent studies show<br /><br>that these immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells show a remarked<br /><br>ability for epithelial differentiation in culture, which is in contrast to<br /><br>other methods of immortalization previously reported. </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures