club cell
A non-ciliated secretory bronchiolar epithelial cell (formerly called Clara cell) that produces surfactant components and detoxifying enzymes and plays a role in airway repair.
Full Definition
Club cells, previously known as Clara cells, line the bronchiolar epithelium and are the primary secretory cells of the distal airways. They produce CC16 (Club cell secretory protein), components of surfactant, and cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. In paediatric pulmonology, CC16 (also written as CC-16 or uteroglobin) is investigated as a biomarker of lung injury and small-airway inflammation. The nomenclature change from 'Clara cell' to 'club cell' was adopted in 2013 to remove the eponym from a scientist with a controversial history; editors must update any manuscript that still uses the older 'Clara cell' terminology unless the journal's style explicitly retains it.
Usage
Usage note: 'Clara cell' is the deprecated nomenclature; replace with 'club cell' in all new copy. The derived protein biomarker may still appear as 'CC16' or 'Clara cell protein 16 (CC16)' in some legacy literature; query authors for preferred current terminology.
In Context
- "Serum CC16 concentrations, a biomarker of club cell injury, were significantly elevated in preterm infants at 36 weeks' corrected age." — Neonatal follow-up lung health study
- "The manuscript referred to 'Clara cells' throughout; these have been updated to 'club cells' in accordance with current nomenclature." — Copyeditor's revision note