Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) is thought to be a form of chronic allograft rejection. However,
immunosuppressive therapy is not effective once fibrosis has developed. We hypothesize
that disordered tissue remodeling is a mechanism for the pathogenesis of OB. We examined
allograft airway fibrosis in an intrapulmonary tracheal transplant model of OB. Allograft
airways were completely obliterated at day 21 by fibrotic tissue; however, tissue remodeling
continued thereafter, as demonstrated by the change of collagen deposition density, shift …