ABSTRACT

The Clara cells are one of the principal cell populations that reside in the bronchioles, where they play a fundamental role as progenitor cells in the case of lesion of the parenchyma of this portion of the bronchial tree. Their principal function is the production of the Clara Cell Secretory Protein (CCSP), a polypeptide with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive functions principally. Its utility in the diagnosis of multiple diseases which affect the respiratory apparatus (like some pneumoconioses, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma and sarcoidosis, among others) have been studied for many years, although there is not actually a universal consensus about its clinical application. The present article constitutes a general approximation to the morphophysiological knowledge of this cellular type and the physiopathological implications of the CCSP in some of the diseases which affect the respiratory apparatus.

KEYWORDS

Bronchioles, bronchoalveolar lavage, Clara cell secretory protein, secretoglobins.

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