{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,23]],"date-time":"2026-05-23T05:04:50Z","timestamp":1779512690398,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779062400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"ARARD"},{"name":"SP2A"},{"name":"AstraZeneca","award":["AZ iC-20241216-7040\u2014PVM 2024-245"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AZ iC-20241216-7040\u2014PVM 2024-245"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomolecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a rare and severe chronic lung disease. Our goal was to characterize respiratory epithelium in children with PIBO, which remains unexplored, using an ex vivo model culture. Methods: Proximal bronchial biopsies from children with PIBO and reconstituted bronchial epithelium from PIBO patients (n = 3) and controls (n = 17) were analyzed using an air\u2013liquid interface culture model. Epithelial cell composition, barrier integrity, and mediator production, including mucins, inflammatory and antiviral responses, were assessed in this pathological and functional approach. Results: Epithelial thickness was assessed in PIBO biopsies. Ex vivo reconstituted PIBO epithelia appeared to exhibit comparable cohesion and cell composition to controls. Mucin expression and secretion were likewise similar between groups. PIBO epithelial might have displayed reduced IL-33 transcript levels and decreased TSLP secretion, whereas IFN-\u03bb1, IFN-\u03bb2-3 and IFN-\u03b2 secretion could have been elevated. No differences were detected in remodeling markers (MMP-9 and YKL-40). Conclusions: In summary, ex vivo model of PIBO epithelia suggested that the epithelium may preserve structural characteristics and mucin production, without evidence of remodeling. However, PIBO epithelial cells may have a distinct immune profile, with lower alarmin expression and higher interferon secretion. This could indicate a tendency toward enhanced antiviral response rather than structural changes. These preliminary results need to be confirmed in larger cohorts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biom16050736","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]],"date-time":"2026-05-22T10:07:47Z","timestamp":1779444467000},"page":"736","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["An Ex Vivo Model of Post Infectious Bronchiolitis Obliterans in Children Using Reconstituted Human Bronchial Epithelium"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8257-7107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julie","family":"Mazenq","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department and Reference Center for Rare Lung Disease RespiRare, Assistance Publique des H\u00f4pitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), H\u00f4pital Universitaire Timone-Enfants, 13385 Marseille, France"},{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"L\u00e9a","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2078-4140","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Christophe","family":"Dubus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department and Reference Center for Rare Lung Disease RespiRare, Assistance Publique des H\u00f4pitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), H\u00f4pital Universitaire Timone-Enfants, 13385 Marseille, France"},{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabien","family":"Chuette","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Louisa","family":"Goumidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicoleta","family":"Panait","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Surgery Department, Marseille Public University Hospital System, 13354 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pascal","family":"Chanez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"},{"name":"Department of Respiratory Diseases, INSERM C2VN, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6630-2955","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Delphine","family":"Gras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Pulmonology Department, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, INRAE, C2VN, 13005 Marseille, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1080\/17476348.2019.1586537","article-title":"Diagnosing and managing bronchiolitis obliterans in children","volume":"13","author":"Kavaliunaite","year":"2019","journal-title":"Expert. 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