{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T13:47:55Z","timestamp":1793368075648,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,23]],"date-time":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1705968000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,23]],"date-time":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1705968000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Respir Res"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Mucus plugs have been described in the airways of asthmatic subjects, particularly those with associated with type 2 inflammation and sputum eosinophilia. In the current study we addressed the question of whether smoking, neutrophilic inflammation and airway dimensions affected the prevalence of mucus plugs.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>In a cohort of moderate to severe asthmatics (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200950), including a group of ex-smokers and current smokers, the prevalence of mucus plugs was quantified using a semi-quantitative score based on thoracic computerized tomography. The relationships between mucus score, sputum inflammatory profile and airway architecture were tested according to patient\u2019s smoking status.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Among the asthmatics (37% former or active smokers), 74% had at least one mucus plug. The median score was 3 and was unrelated to smoking status. A significant but weak correlation was found between mucus score, FEV<jats:sub>1<\/jats:sub> and FEV<jats:sub>1<\/jats:sub>\/FVC. Mucus score was significantly correlated with sputum eosinophils. Among former and active smokers, mucus score was correlated with sputum neutrophils. Mucus score was positively associated with FeNO in non-smoking subjects. The lumen dimensions of the main and lobar bronchi were significantly inversely correlated with mucus score.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Airway mucus plugs could define an asthma phenotype with altered airway architecture and can occur in asthmatic subjects with either neutrophilic or eosinophilic sputum according to their smoking status.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12931-024-02665-w","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,23]],"date-time":"2024-01-23T15:02:51Z","timestamp":1706022171000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Mucus plugs in the airways of asthmatic subjects and smoking status"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Camille","family":"Audousset","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sana","family":"Swaleh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ron","family":"Olivenstein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Motahareh","family":"Vameghestahbanati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miranda","family":"Kirby","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandre","family":"Semionov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benjamin M.","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"James G.","family":"Martin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,23]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"2665_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaci.2019.05.031","volume":"144","author":"R Kaur","year":"2019","unstructured":"Kaur R, Chupp G. 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