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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: Expert Rev Respir Med. 2019 Feb 13;13(4):349–356. doi: 10.1080/17476348.2019.1578211

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Linkage of innate inflammation with airway remodeling and mesenchymal transition. Top panel schematic view of normal bronchiole (left) and asthmatic bronchiole (right) with structural remodeling. Bottom panel, mechanistic processes. Repetitive activation of toll like receptor (TLR) signaling by respiratory virus or aero-allergens activates mucosal NFkB/RelA to complex with the BRD4 coactivator in the airway epithelial cells. Subsequently, mesenchymal transition occurs with loss of epithelial adherens junctions (green), resulting in disruption of epithelial barrier function. Production of fibrogenic cytokines induces airway remodeling including myofibroblast transdifferentiation, and extracellular matrix formation. CD, cat dander; Col1, collagen; FN1, fibronectin 1; HDM, house dust mite allergen.