RATIONALE Epithelial remodelling in asthma is characterised by goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus hypersecretion for which no therapies exist. Differentiated bronchial air-liquid interface cultures from asthmatic children display high goblet cell numbers. Epidermal growth factor and its receptor have been implicated in goblet cell hyperplasia. OBJECTIVES We hypothesised that EGF removal or tyr...

purpose: to evaluate stem cell deficiency using impression cytology (ic) in patients with chronic and delayed-onset mustard gas keratopathy (mgk). methods: a consecutive series of patients with mgk underwent ic. thirty-five eyes of 18 patients (all male) with mustard gas keratopathy were included in this observational case series. presence of goblet cells on the corneal side of specimens was co...

Airway occlusion by mucus in chronic obstructive disease (COPD) is associated with a poor prognosis. We hypothesised that tiotropium has the ability to inhibit neutrophil elastase (NE)-induced goblet cell metaplasia in mice and mucin production in vitro. On days 1, 4, and 7, tiotropium or vehicle was administered to C57BL/6 mice by inhalation and they were allowed to intranasally aspirate human...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) intestinal disease is associated with the pathological manifestation mucoviscidosis, which is the secretion of tenacious, viscid mucus that plugs ducts and glands of epithelial-lined organs. Goblet cells are the principal cell type involved in exocytosis of mucin granules; however, little is known about the exocytotic process of goblet cells in the CF intestine. Using intes...

BACKGROUND The dry eye or tear film dysfunction is a common ophthalmic syndrome. OBJECTIVE To compare the results of conjunctival impression cytology between dry eye patients and normal individuals. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A case control study including consecutive cases of dry eye syndrome was carried out. Individuals without dry eye were taken as control. Impression of conjunctiva with cellu...

The trefoil factor family peptides TFF1, TFF2, and TFF3 are important for gut mucosal protection and restitution. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) stimulates proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells with potent effects on goblet cells. To investigate interactions between food intake and KGF, rats were fed ad libitum (control), fasted for 72 h, or fasted for 72 h and then refed for ...