Integrity of Airway Epithelium Is Essential Against Obliterative Airway Disease in Transplanted Rat Tracheas

We conclude that integrity of airway epithelium is essential for rat trachea transplants to be safeguarded from obliterative airway disease. For clinical lung transplantation the results of our study suggest that protection of the integrity of airway epithelium may be important in preventing the development of obliterative bronchiolitis.