Fig. 3

Endothelial glycocalyx is impaired in COPD patients. A Representative immunofluorescence staining images of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate in non-COPD and COPD lungs. Heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate antibodies were used as glycocalyx specific antigens, and CD31 was used as the mark of endothelial cell. Nuclei were visualized with 4ʹ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Scale bar = 50 μm. Quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity was performed (n = 7–10). B Serum heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate in subjects detected by ELISA analysis (n = 25 in non-COPD, n = 14 in COPD, n = 26 in non-smoker, n = 13 in smoker). Correlations of circulating heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate levels with lung function parameters (the ratio of FEV1/FVC and FEV1% predicted) in all subjects (n = 39) were analysed using Pearson correlation test. *P < 0.05. n.s., not significant