Cystic Fibrosis is a condition that:

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride channel protein. This defect affects all exocrine glands — specifically the cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva, and digestive secretions — leading to abnormally thick, viscous secretions throughout the body. In the lungs, thick mucus obstructs airways and promotes recurrent infections; in the pancreas, blocked ducts impair enzyme secretion and digestion; sweat glands produce abnormally salty sweat, which forms the basis of the sweat chloride diagnostic test. The option describing collapse of alveoli due to inflammation refers more closely to atelectasis or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Destruction of T-helper or CD4 cells describes the pathophysiology of HIV infection, not CF. An inflammatory response occurring in lung tissue describes conditions such as pneumonia or acute lung injury. While CF causes secondary inflammation from recurrent infections, the root pathophysiology is the dysfunction of mucus, sweat, saliva, and digestive secretion-producing cells. Understanding this systemic glandular involvement is key to distinguishing CF from other respiratory and immune conditions on examinations.