title: The innate immune function of airway epithelial cells in inflammatory lung disease.
abstract: The airway epithelium is now considered to be central to the orchestration of pulmonary inflammatory and immune responses, and is also key to tissue remodelling. It acts as the first barrier in the defence against a wide range of inhaled challenges, and is critically involved in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses to these challenges. Recent progress in our understanding of the developmental regulation of this tissue, the differentiation pathways, recognition of pathogens and antimicrobial responses is now exploited to help understand how epithelial cell function and dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory lung diseases. Herein, advances in our knowledge of the biology of airway epithelium, as well as its role and (dys)function in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. p.s.hiemstra@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Pieter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hiemstra
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: McCray
authors.affiliation: Dept of Internal Medicine V - Pulmonology, Allergology and Critical Care Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bals
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology