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Comparative Study
. 2008 Nov-Dec;15(8):431-5.
doi: 10.1155/2008/202615.

Quality of bronchial biopsies for morphology study and cell sampling: a comparison of asthmatic and healthy subjects

Isabelle Labonté  1 , Michel Laviolette, Ron Olivenstein, Jamila Chakir, Louis-Philippe Boulet, Qutayba Hamid
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Quality of bronchial biopsies for morphology study and cell sampling: a comparison of asthmatic and healthy subjects

Isabelle Labonté et al. Can Respir J. 2008 Nov-Dec.

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Bronchial biopsies are widely used for histopathological, primary cell culture and genetic studies, but very few reports have evaluated their quality.

Objectives and methods: The present project evaluated the quality (using a scoring system) and the general morphology of a pool of six bronchial biopsy specimens taken from three different sampling sites (the lobar, segmental and subsegmental carinae) in 27 subjects (13 asthmatic subjects and 14 healthy controls). The present study also assessed quantitative measurements of structural changes related to asthma.

Results: In total, 94.4% of the biopsy attempts had enough tissue to be processed. From these, 61.7% were scored with a good to excellent quality, while 76.5% presented smooth muscle bundles and 40.5% had an intact epithelium wall. The data also confirmed the structural changes observed in asthma, such as increased apparent thickening of the basement membrane, reduced amounts of smooth muscle for healthy controls and decreased percentage of intact epithelium for asthmatic subjects.

Conclusion: A pool of six bronchial biopsy specimens can provide tissue of excellent quality in both asthmatic and healthy subjects and, consequently, a valuable sample for morphological analysis of mucosal structures.

HISTORIQUE :: Les biopsies bronchiques sont généralisées pour les études histopathologiques, génétiques et de cellules primaires, mais très peu de rapports en évaluent la qualité.

OBJECTIFS ET MÉTHODOLOGIE :: Le présent projet visait à évaluer la qualité (au moyen d’un système de pointage) et la morphologie générale d’un groupe de six spécimens de biopsie bronchique prélevés dans divers sites de prélèvements (les carènes lobaire, segmentaire et sous-segmentaire) de 27 sujets (13 sujets asthmatiques et 14 sujets témoins). La présente étude a également servi à évaluer des mesures quantitatives de changements structurels reliés à l’asthme.

RÉSULTATS :: Au total, 94,4 % des tentatives de biopsie contenaient assez de tissus pour être traitées. De ce nombre, 61,7 % obtenaient une évaluation de bonne à excellente qualité, tandis que 76,5 % comportaient des faisceaux de muscles lisses et 40,5 %, une paroi épithéliale intacte. Les données ont également confirmé les changements structurels observés dans l’asthme, tels qu’une augmentation de l’épaississement apparent de la couche basale, une moins grande quantité de muscle lisse chez les sujets en santé et une diminution du pourcentage d’épithélium intact chez les sujets asthmatiques.

CONCLUSIONS :: Un groupe de six spécimens de biopsie bronchique peut fournir des tissus d’excellente qualité tant chez les sujets asthmatiques que chez les sujets en santé et, par conséquent, un échantillon utile d’analyse morphologique des structures muqueuses.

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Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
Quantitative measurements of bronchial biopsy specimens, according to the sampling site and group of interest. The circles and squares represent the asthmatic subjects and the healthy controls, respectively. Mean values are represented by horizontal bars. A No difference in total surface area of the bronchial biopsy samples from the different sampling sites and group of subjects. B Smaller amounts of smooth muscle (SM) area in bronchial biopsies obtained from healthy controls at the subsegmental level, compared with all other groups. C No statistical difference in the percentage of SM area/total surface for the different sampling sites and group of subjects. D Increased percentage of intact epithelium at the lobar carinae from healthy controls compared with asthmatic subjects. *P<0.05
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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