title: [Histopathological features of the bronchi in severe bronchial asthma--a statistical analysis].
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the histopathological features of the bronchi in patients with severe bronchial asthma. Seventy-four autopsy cases of death from severe bronchial asthma were analyzed statistically. The areas of the bronchial wall, smooth muscle, bronchial glands, basement membrane, and bronchial bore, were measured at the level of the subsegmental bronchi. Normal lungs from 34 autopsy cases without any respiratory pathology were used as controls. All of these areas but the last were significantly increased in severe bronchial asthma. The bronchial bore area was significantly decreased. Moreover, the above areas in low and moderate goblet cell hyperplasia cases were compared with those in high goblet cell hyperplasia cases. In the latter, the areas of the smooth muscle, bronchial glands and basement membrane were significantly elevated and those of the bronchial bore were significantly decreased. Finally, the areas of the bronchial bore, smooth muscle and bronchial glands were also compared between groups presenting with three different levels of basement membrane thickening, but no significant difference was noted. Further study to examine the precise morphological changes is needed to elucidate the characteristics of bronchi in severe bronchial asthma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saotome
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index