COPD Flashcards
What is chronic bronchitis characterised by?
Airway obstruction due to several factors
Chronic bronchitis is a form of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) that involves long-term inflammation of the airways.
What causes thickening of the wall in chronic bronchitis?
Hypertrophy of the mucin-secreting submucosal glands
This hypertrophy leads to a decrease in the diameter of the lumen.
What is the result of mucus hypersecretion in chronic bronchitis?
Decrease in the diameter of the lumen
Mucus hypersecretion contributes to airway obstruction and difficulty in breathing.
What cellular change occurs due to metaplasia in chronic bronchitis?
Replacement of endothelial cells with excessive numbers of mucin-secreting goblet cells
This change can lead to increased mucus production and airway blockage.
Fill in the blank: Chronic bronchitis involves _______ of the mucin-secreting submucosal glands.
hypertrophy
True or False: Goblet cells decrease in number in chronic bronchitis.
False
In chronic bronchitis, there is an increase in goblet cells, leading to more mucus production.
What happens to the bronchial walls in bronchitis?
Thickening of the bronchial walls occurs
This thickening contributes to airway obstruction.
What is the effect of inflammatory exudates on mucus volume?
Increases the volume of mucus by increasing the watery component
This process is part of the inflammatory response.
What stimulates increased mucin secretion during bronchitis?
Various inflammatory mediators stimulate increased mucin secretion
These mediators are released during the inflammatory response.
How does smoking affect mucociliary clearance?
Reduces mucociliary clearance due to damage to cilia
Damaged cilia cannot effectively clear mucus and debris.
What role do proteases play in bronchitis?
Proteases released during the inflammatory response damage cilia
This further impairs mucociliary clearance.
What contributes to the reduced lumen in bronchitis?
Thickening of bronchial walls and mucus accumulation
Both factors lead to airway obstruction.
Fill in the blank: In bronchitis, there is an increase in the number of _______ secreting submucosal glands and goblet cells.
mucin
This increase contributes to mucus production.
What is reduced due to the damage of cilia from smoking?
Mucociliary clearance
Cilia are hair-like structures that help clear mucus and debris from the respiratory tract.
What condition involves a loss of elasticity in the lungs?
Emphysema
Emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) characterized by damage to the alveoli.
What causes obstruction in the smaller airways in emphysema?
Thickening and mucus accumulation
The obstruction leads to difficulties in airflow, particularly during expiration.
What happens to air during expiration in emphysema?
Air is trapped in the alveoli and small airways
This trapping of air progressively increases with each breath.
What condition leads to hyperinflation of the lungs?
Emphysema
Hyperinflation occurs due to trapped air in the lungs.
What physical characteristic can result from hyperinflation in emphysema?
Barrel-shaped chest
This shape is a result of the increased volume of the lungs due to trapped air.
What is emphysema characterized by?
Loss of elasticity, enlargement of airspaces beyond the terminal bronchioles, destruction of alveolar walls and capillaries, increased hyperinflation
Emphysema is a chronic lung condition that affects breathing and is often associated with smoking and other environmental factors.
What causes the loss of elasticity and alveolar architecture in emphysema?
Proteases and oxidants (free radicals that cause oxidative stress) breakdown elastin and collagen
These processes lead to structural damage in the lungs, contributing to the symptoms of emphysema.
Fill in the blank: Emphysema involves the destruction of _______.
alveolar walls and capillaries
True or False: Increased hyperinflation is a characteristic feature of emphysema.
True
What are the main structural changes in the lungs due to emphysema?
Loss of elasticity and enlargement of airspaces
These changes lead to difficulties in breathing and reduced oxygen exchange.
What is the role of anti-proteases in the body?
To limit damage caused by proteases
What happens when the amount of proteases produced by the inflammatory process exceeds the capacity of anti-proteases?
Damage to the tissues occurs
What factors can reduce anti-protease capacity?
- Smoking
- Genetic deficiency
- Oxidative stress
What is the effect of damaged elastin and fibrosis in the airway epithelium?
Loss of elastic recoil on expiration
How does loss of elastic recoil affect expiratory ability?
It reduces expiratory ability
What condition does reduced expiratory ability lead to?
Increased hyperinflation
Fill in the blank: Anti-protease capacity is reduced because _______.
[a1-antitrypsin is inhibited by smoking and/or genetic deficiency, and by oxidative stress]
True or False: Normal lung parenchyma and COPD lung parenchyma have the same structure.
False
What is the role of anti-proteases in the body?
To limit damage caused by proteases
What happens when the amount of proteases produced by the inflammatory process exceeds the capacity of anti-proteases?
Damage to the tissues occurs
What factors can reduce anti-protease capacity?
- Smoking
- Genetic deficiency
- Oxidative stress
What is the effect of damaged elastin and fibrosis in the airway epithelium?
Loss of elastic recoil on expiration
How does loss of elastic recoil affect expiratory ability?
It reduces expiratory ability
What condition does reduced expiratory ability lead to?
Increased hyperinflation
Fill in the blank: Anti-protease capacity is reduced because _______.
[a1-antitrypsin is inhibited by smoking and/or genetic deficiency, and by oxidative stress]
True or False: Normal lung parenchyma and COPD lung parenchyma have the same structure.
False
