Final answer:
Compliance will increase if the airway structures lose elastic fibers due to protease activity, making the lungs more compliant but potentially less effective at pushing air out, similar to an older balloon.
Step-by-step explanation:
If airway structures lose elastic fibers as a result of increased protein breakdown by proteases, compliance will increase. Elastic fibers contribute to the elastic recoil of the lung tissues, allowing them to return to their original shape after expansion. When these fibers are degraded, the lungs become more compliant, which means they can expand more easily with less elastic recoil, kind of like an older, stretched-out balloon. However, this also means that the lungs are less able to push out the air, potentially leading to air trapping and decreased efficiency in gas exchange.
With regard to the information provided, if the lungs become stiff and less pliable, the compliance would decrease rather than increase. But in this case, the loss of elastic fibers makes the lungs more compliant. Increased compliance of the lungs can lead to a situation where the lungs are able to expand but may not return to their normal size as effectively, which can increase the work of breathing.