A raised level of soluble CD8 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis in Japan.
We used ELISA to measure soluble CD8 (sCD8) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of patients with summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). The sCD8 levels in BALF were significantly higher in the patients with summer-type HP, surpassing those found in sarcoidosis and the other pulmonary diseases studied; however, the sCD8 levels in the serum of patients with summer-type HP did not differ from the levels of the healthy controls. The numbers of CD8+ T cells were increased in the BALF of the patients with summer-type HP, and there was a correlation between the sCD8 levels and the concentrations of CD8+ T cells. Gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the fluid revealed that the anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody-reactive components in the BALF of patients with pneumonitis corresponded to a protein with a molecular weight of between 52 and 54 kDa. Soluble CD8-rich fraction purified from the BALF of patients with summer-type HP augmented in vitro lymphocytes' proliferative responses stimulated with Cryptococcus neoformans, one of the causative agents for summer-type HP. Our result suggests that soluble CD8 in the BALF may play an important role in the pathogenesis of summer-type HP.
Hamagami
S
S
Osaka Prefectural Habikino Hospital, Japan.
Miyagawa
T
T
Ochi
T
T
Tsuyuguchi
I
I
Kishimoto
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012621:Seasons; D012995:Solubility
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016827:CD8 Antigens