Editor’s response to “An Oversight Regarding the Club Cell?”

As Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology, I thank Dr. Richard Parad for promptly bringing this error to our attention¹. I apologize for this paper² being published online using the term Clara, rather than the now-accepted club cell. I recognize that this is a painful reminder of the atrocities of the Third Reich and deeply regret the error. Given that the term “Clara” is still frequently represented on the internet, I am grateful that we can now remind the international pediatric pulmonology community about this history and the preferred term.

I also thank another contributor to Pediatric Pulmonology who brought this issue to my attention by email shortly before receipt of this letter. The paper was temporarily removed from online publication. The corresponding author was notified, apologized, and authorized changing the language from “Clara” to “club” cell throughout the manuscript. The Associate Editor was also notified. The online and final issue manuscripts use the correct term.

Pediatric Pulmonology strives to uphold the strongest ethical standards in publishing and to serve our diverse, international community of authors and readers with respect. We will be vigilant to prevent recurrence of this and other out-of-date, harmful terminology.

Susanna A. McColley, MD

Editor-in-Chief, Pediatric Pulmonology

1. Parad R. An Oversight Regarding the Club Cell? Pediatr Pulmonol xxxx

2. Rallis D, Baltogianni M, Dermitzaki N, Balomenou F, Papastergiou E, Maragoudaki E, Tsabouri S, Makis A, Giapros V. Club cell protein expression amongst infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2022; 57: (add page numbers from the issue)