Analysis Of Apoptosis Of Alveolar Epithelial Cells And Pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Cells In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)

Objective:To investigate the relationship between apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells in patients with COPD and the relationship between apoptosis and COPD.Methods:The morphological observation of cell apoptosis was carried out using optical microscope after the collection of lung tissue samples from patients with and without COPD. The quantitative analysis of apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells was undertaken by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The relationship between apoptosis of the two kinds of cells in patients with COPD was studied by linear correlation analysis, and the relationship between the specific indexes, such as FEV₁%Pre, FEV₁/FVC(%), RV/TLC(%),and the two kinds of cells apoptosis was also investigated.Results:1. Under optical microscope, it could be detected that the apoptotic cells of COPD group and control distributed individually and scatteringly, showing that the chromatin was concentrated and located mainly in the outskirt, the karyotheca split and the chromatin divided into smaller pieces. 2. The apoptotic index of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells in COPD group was obviously higher than that in control(P<0.01, P<0.01).3. In COPD group, the apoptotic index of alveolar epithelial cells was significantly higher than that of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (P<0.01) and both were positively correlated with each other(r=0.595, P=0.032).4. In COPD group both the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells revealed negative correlations to FEV₁(%)Pre(r=-0.834, P=0.000; r=-0.692, P=0.009) and FEV₁/FVC(%) (r=-0.956, P=0.000; r=-0.712, P=0.006), but positive correlations were demonstrated between them and RV/TLC(%)(r=0.934, P=0.000; r=0.702, P=0.007).Conclusion:1. The apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells in patients with COPD can be detected. The apoptotic index of alveolar epithelial cells is evidently higher than that of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. Both are positively correlated with each other.2. The apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells in patients with COPD is notably related to the change of their lung function and involved in the pathogenesis of COPD.