Derek J. Chadwick & Jamie A. Goode 
Mucus Hypersecretion in Respiratory Disease [PDF ebook] 

A number of chronic respiratory diseases including chronic
bronchitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis are
characterized by mucus hypersecretion. Following damage to the
airway epithelium, a repair process of dedifferentiation,
regenerative proliferation and redifferentiation takes place that
is invariably accompanied by mucus hypersecretion as a key element
in the host defence mechanism. In chronic respiratory diseases,
however, excessive mucus production leads to a pathological state
with increased risk of infection, hospitalization and morbidity. An
understanding of the mechanisms that underlie and maintain this
hypersecretory phenotype is therefore crucial for the development
of rational approaches to therapy.

Despite a high and increasing prevalence and cost to healthcare
services and society, mucus hypersecretion in chronic respiratory
disease has received little attention until recently, probably
because of the difficulties inherent in studying this pathology.
Only in the last few years have some of the genes involved in mucus
secretion been characterized. The recent availability of genomic
sequence information and specific antibodies has led to an
explosion of interest in this area making this publication
particularly timely.

This book draws together contributions from an international and
interdisciplinary group of experts, whose work is focused on both
basic and clinical aspects of the problem. Coverage includes
epidemiology, airways infection and mucus hypersecretion, the
genetics and regulation of mucus production, models of mucus
hypersecretion, and the implications of new knowledge for the
development of novel therapies.

Spis treści

Chair’s Introduction (C. Basbaum).

Epidemiological studies in mucus hypersecretion (J. Vestbo).

Post-secretory fate of host defence components in mucus (M.
Salathe, et al.).

Mechanisms of submucosal gland morphogenesis in the airway (M.
Filali, et al.).

Mucin-producing elements and inflammatory cells (P. Jeffery and
J. Zhu).

Respiratory tract mucins: structure and expression patterns (J.
Davies, et al.).

Development and validation of a lectin-based assay for the
quantitation of rat respiratory mucin (A. Jackson, et al.).

Regulation of mucin secretion from in vitro cellular
models (C. Davis).

Oscillations of p H inside the secretory granule control the gain
of Ca¯2+ release for signal transduction in goblet cells
exocytosis (W. Chin, et al.).

A calcium-activated chloride channel blocker inhibits goblet
cell metaplasia and mucus overproduction (Y. Zhou, et al.).

Mechanisms by which Gram-positive bacteria and tobacco smoke
stimulate mucin induction through the epidermal growth factor
receptor (EGFR) (C. Basbaum, et al.).

Non-allergic models of mu cous cell metaplasia and mucus
hypersecretion in rat nasal and pulmonary airways (J. Harkema and
J. Wagner).

Cytokine regulation of mucus production in a model of allergic
asthma (L. Cohn, et al.).

The role of apoptotic regulators in metaplastic mucous cells (Y.
Tesfaigzi).

Current and future therapies for airway mucus hypersecretion (P.
Barnes).

Clinical evaluation of new therapies for treatment of mucus
hypersecretion in respiratory diseases (B. Disse).

Final general discussion.

Index of contributors.

Subject index.

O autorze

Derek J. Chadwick and Jamie A. Goode are editors for Mucus Hypersecretion in Respiratory Disease and other scientific titles.