What is the Clinical Significance of Goblet Cells?
Goblet cells are clinically significant in various diseases and conditions. In chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an increased number of goblet cells can lead to excessive mucus production and airway obstruction. In the gastrointestinal tract, changes in goblet cell number and mucus composition can be indicative of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer.
