Plasma cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of a patient with eosinophilic pneumonia. Morphologic proof of local production of antibodies.
We describe a case of eosinophilic pneumonia in which plasma cells appeared in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). A 49-year-old man presented with wheezing, lung infiltrates, peripheral eosinophilia, and extremely high IgE levels in serum and BALF. A differential count of BALF revealed 56.6 percent lymphocytes and 1.3 percent plasma cells. The appearance of plasma cells suggests local maturation of B cells and represents a morphologic proof of local production of immunoglobulins. The increased number of lymphocytes suggests their role in B cell differentiation via the lymphokine network.
Yamaguchi
E
E
First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Saito
S
S
Okazaki
N
N
Abe
S
S
Kawakami
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D000418:Albumins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E