Quantitative morphology using bronchial biopsies
PG Woodruff, AL Innes - European Respiratory Review, 2006 - Eur Respiratory Soc
PG Woodruff, AL Innes
European Respiratory Review, 2006•Eur Respiratory SocBronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies allows sampling of airway tissue in prospective
clinical studies and is increasingly applied for the study of airway inflammation and
remodelling. It is important to recognise that there are limitations inherent to the use of
bronchial biopsies, including the inability to randomly sample the airway and susceptibility to
the “reference trap”. Nonetheless, certain stereological principles can be applied to the
analysis of these specimens, which may improve the validity of the results obtained. These …
clinical studies and is increasingly applied for the study of airway inflammation and
remodelling. It is important to recognise that there are limitations inherent to the use of
bronchial biopsies, including the inability to randomly sample the airway and susceptibility to
the “reference trap”. Nonetheless, certain stereological principles can be applied to the
analysis of these specimens, which may improve the validity of the results obtained. These …
Bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies allows sampling of airway tissue in prospective clinical studies and is increasingly applied for the study of airway inflammation and remodelling.
It is important to recognise that there are limitations inherent to the use of bronchial biopsies, including the inability to randomly sample the airway and susceptibility to the “reference trap”. Nonetheless, certain stereological principles can be applied to the analysis of these specimens, which may improve the validity of the results obtained. These principles relate to choice of reference space, adequacy of sampling and treatment of tissue orientation in the estimation of thickness and surface area.
With attention to these principles, the present authors have developed protocols for the assessment of multiple measures of airway remodelling in bronchial biopsies, including airway epithelial mucin content, epithelial goblet cell size, reticular basement membrane thickness and smooth muscle morphological outcomes. They have also developed protocols for the enumeration of inflammatory cells important in the study of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including eosinophils and neutrophils.
In the present article, relevant stereological principles and the details of these specific protocols will be reviewed.
European Respiratory Society