{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T21:47:42Z","timestamp":1767649662631,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,21]],"date-time":"2024-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1705795200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The alteration of progenitor\/stem cells present in the airway epithelium has been observed in patients with COPD. Smoking exposure induces remodeling patterns in bronchial progenitor cells (BPCs), encompassing squamous metaplasia, hyperplasia of basal and of mucus-secreting cells, and the depletion of ciliated and non-mucous secretory cells. Our aim was to assess the expression of p63 and vimentin as potential markers of airway remodeling and the regulation of stem cell populations in obstructive and neoplastic lung disease patients. A retrospective single-center observational study was conducted, including patients undergoing bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies for suspected lung cancer. p63 and vimentin expression were evaluated via immunohistochemical analysis. There were 25 patients, of which 21 with COPD were included, and 17 were diagnosed with lung cancer. We observed that FEV1% was negatively correlated with p63+ basal cell number (r = \u22120.614, p = 0.019) and positively correlated with vimentin expression (r = 0.670; p = 0.008). p63 was significantly higher in biopsies from the trachea and main bronchi compared to more distal areas (p = 0.040), whereas vimentin was prevalent in the more distal areas (p = 0.042). Our preliminary data suggest the initial evidence of structural changes in BPCs among patients with COPD and lung cancer. Further research efforts are warranted to investigate additional morphologic and functional respiratory parameters in these patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13020609","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,22]],"date-time":"2024-01-22T11:36:41Z","timestamp":1705923401000},"page":"609","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Bronchial Progenitor Cells in Obstructive and Neoplastic Lung Disease: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5969-8501","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beatrice","family":"Ragnoli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, 13100 Vercelli, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Fusco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Pathology, Az. Ospedaliera Maggiore della Carit\u00e0, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5283-3897","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patrizia","family":"Pignatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Allergy and Immunology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tiziana","family":"Cena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epidemiological Observatory Service, ASL VC, 13100 Vercelli, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Guido","family":"Valente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Pathology, Department of Traslational Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1246-4892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mario","family":"Malerba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Unit, S. Andrea Hospital, 13100 Vercelli, Italy"},{"name":"Laboratory of Pathology, Department of Traslational Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1111\/resp.12589","article-title":"Natural history of COPD: Focusing on change in FEV1","volume":"21","author":"Vestbo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Respirology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2645","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa032158","article-title":"The nature of small-airway obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease","volume":"350","author":"Hogg","year":"2004","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. 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