Emphysema

Paper Summary:

Respiratory airway obstruction resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be caused by two mechanisms: bronchiolitis and emphysema. While the obstructive condition is generally due to bronchiolitis, emphysema may appear later in the course of the disease or independent of the bronchiolitis. Cigarette smoking is a primary factor in the development of COPD and, thus, emphysema, which can lead to decreased lung capacity and a substantial decrease of oxygen exchange in the lungs. This paper provides a review of the anatomical and physiological factors influencing the development of COPD and emphysema, with an analysis of underlying biochemical stimuli. It provides a specific understanding of the causes and conditions of COPD and determines methods of treatment and prevention.

From the Paper:

"The role of proteolytic enzymes in the progression of COPD and emphysema has been reviewed for therapeutic purposes. Smoking is implicated in 85 to 90% of COPD cases, with evidence demonstrating that smoking causes the inflammatory conditions from which airway obstruction can occur, producing increased amounts of neutrophil and macrophage elastases. While both of these proteolytic enzymes have varied effects on pathogenesis among individuals, studies of use of elastase inhibitors have been cited as potential forms of therapy. However, in cases where the individual cannot refrain from smoking, and the inflammatory stimuli thus persists, these elastase inhibitors have been limited in their benefit (Snider, 2000)."

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