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Case Study Emphysema (A Graded) Latest Questions and Complete Solutions

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Case Study: Emphysema Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The significant change in emphysema is the destruction of the alveolar walls and septae, which leads to large, per ... manently inflated alveolar air spaces (Gould, VanMeter, & Huber, 2014). Alveolar walls can be damaged by modifiable factors such as cigarette smoking or non-modifiable factors such as a genetic mutation. No matter the cause, all damage is triggered by the release of elastase. Pathologically, elastin and collagen, which allow the alveoli to expand and contract during breathing, are destroyed by neutrophil and macrophage enzymes (Schiska, 2016). Elastase is a destructive enzyme released by neutrophils. It causes alveolar wall damage by breaking down their elasticity and making them less effective in oxygen exchange. In healthy lungs, elastase release is minimized by alpha1-antitrypsin. Alpha1-antritrypsin is a protein that inhibits the activity of elastase, which is released by neutrophils during inflammation (Gould et al., 2014). In unhealthy lungs, a deficiency of alpha1-antitrypsin or an increase in neutrophils allows an overabundance of elastase and causes alveolar wall rigidity. [Show More]

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