title: Platelet-activating factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from asthmatic subjects.
abstract: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on 28 asthma patients, 7 patients with emphysema and 11 control subjects. Total and differential cell counts were performed and cellular metabolic activity was assessed using luminol and lucigenin amplified chemiluminescence. BAL supernatants were assayed for platelet-activating factor (PAF) and lyso-PAF using a sensitive guinea-pig bioassay. Eight of the asthma patients but none of the emphysema patients or control subjects had PAF in their BAL fluid. Lyso-PAF was measurable in BAL fluid in most subjects and no differences were detected between groups. Among the asthma patients, the presence of PAF in BAL supernatant was significantly associated with a combination of low neutrophil and high lymphocyte counts (p less than 0.05) and with macrophage metabolic activity as assessed by lucigenin chemiluminescence (p less than 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Chest Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Stenton
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Court
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goadby
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duddridge
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010974:Platelet Aggregation
chemical_list: C029271:O-deacetyl platelet activating factor; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor