What are Some Diseases Involving Type II Pneumocytes?
Several pulmonary diseases are associated with dysfunction or damage to type II pneumocytes. For example, in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the loss of type II pneumocytes leads to impaired surfactant production and alveolar collapse. In neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, insufficient surfactant production by immature type II pneumocytes results in breathing difficulties in premature infants. Type II pneumocytes are also implicated in chronic lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, where their abnormal function contributes to tissue remodeling and fibrosis.
