Dept of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, USA
Dept of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, USA.
Eur Respir Rev. 2019 Nov 6;28(154). doi: 10.1183/16000617.0047-2019. Print 2019 Dec 31.
Sphingolipids are a distinct class of lipid molecules widely found in nature, principally as cell membrane constituents. After initial uncertainty about their function, sphingolipids have been increasingly recognised to be metabolically active entities involved in many biological processes, including the control of inflammation. Their role as mediators of inflammation may have significant implications for a range of lung diseases in which inflammation is a central element of pathogenesis. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a highly prevalent and morbid condition predominantly affecting cigarette smokers, is a prime example of a respiratory illness with an inflammatory component. Understandably, sphingolipids have received growing attention for their increasingly demonstrated role in the pathophysiology of COPD. The present review aims to be among the first to focus exclusively on the connection between sphingolipids and lung inflammation in COPD, providing the reader with a clinically oriented synopsis of this intriguing association.
鞘脂是一类广泛存在于自然界中的脂质分子，主要作为细胞膜的组成部分。在最初对其功能存在不确定性之后，鞘脂已逐渐被认为是具有代谢活性的实体，参与许多生物学过程，包括炎症的控制。它们作为炎症介质的作用可能对一系列肺部疾病具有重要意义，因为炎症是发病机制的核心要素。慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一种高度流行且病态的疾病，主要影响吸烟者，是一种具有炎症成分的呼吸系统疾病的典型例子。可以理解的是，鞘脂在 COPD 的病理生理学中所扮演的作用日益显著，因此它们受到了越来越多的关注。本综述旨在成为首批专门关注 COPD 中鞘脂与肺部炎症之间联系的综述之一，为读者提供对这一有趣关联的临床概述。
