Morphological characterization of basophilic cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from patients with bronchial asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
A marked increase in the number of basophilic cells (BCs) was found in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from the patients with bronchial asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Histochemical analysis revealed that basophils were the major components of BCs in asthmatic patients, while formalin-insensitive BCs, which are presumed to be connective tissue mast cells, were observed in BAL fluids from IPF patients. In control subjects, almost all of BCs were mucosal mast cells.
D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D001491:Basophils / Q000473:pathology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation