Mucus abnormalities play important roles in the development and/or evolution of most, if not all, airway diseases. The airway mucus is both a crucial component of the airway's mechanical defence mechanisms against irritants and microorganisms, and a marker of airway injury: its composition is influenced by various pathophysiological mechanisms involved in acute and chronic airway diseases, including inflammation, infection, oxidative stress and protease–antiprotease imbalance. These mechanisms can induce abnormalities in mucus composition through impairments in mucin production and/or ion transport pathways that contribute to mucus hydration [1], and/or through the integration in the mucus of other components, such as extracellular DNA and other constituents of neutrophil extracellular traps.

粘液异常在大多数（如果不是全部）气道疾病的发展和/或进化中发挥重要作用。气道粘液既是气道对刺激物和微生物的机械防御机制的重要组成部分，也是气道损伤的标志：其成分受急性和慢性气道疾病的各种病理生理机制的影响，包括炎症、感染、氧化应激和蛋白酶-抗蛋白酶失衡。这些机制可通过损害粘蛋白产生和/或有助于粘液水合的离子转运途径 [1] 和/或通过其他成分（如细胞外 DNA 和中性粒细胞的其他成分）整合到粘液中来诱导粘液成分异常细胞外陷阱。