Current Practice of Airway Stenting in the Adult Population in Europe: A Survey of the European Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (EABIP).

Background: Airway stenting (AS) commenced in Europe circa 1987 with the first placement of a dedicated silicone airway stent. Subsequently, over the last 3 decades, AS was spread throughout Europe, using different insertion techniques and different types of stents.

Objectives: This study is an international survey conducted by the European Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (EABIP) focusing on AS practice within 26 European countries.

Mucin5B expression by lung alveolar macrophages is increased in long-term smokers.

This study investigated the expression of MUC5B by AMs in the lungs of cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. We analyzed MUC5B expression by measuring the levels of apomucin and mRNA in human BALF cells from 50 subjects (20 nonsmokers, 17 patients with CB, and 13 patients with COPD). apoMUC5B was observed in BALF mononuclear cells in 60% of all subjects, but a significantly higher frequency of apoMUC5B(+) cells was found in subjects with CB (95% CI, 4.