A clinical and canine experimental study in small-airway response to bronchial thermoplasty: Role of the neuronal effect

The effects of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) on smooth muscle (SM) and nerves in small airways are unclear.We recruited 15 patients with severe refractory asthma, who received BT treatment. Endobronchial optical-coherence tomography (EB-OCT) was performed at baseline, 3 weeks' follow-up and 2 years' follow-up to evaluate the effect of BT on airway structure. In addition, we divided 12 healthy beagles into a sham group and a BT group, the latter...