Comparison of gallium-67 scanning, bronchoalveolar lavage, and serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Predicting response to therapy.
Patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis underwent bronchoalveolar lavage, gallium scan, and serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) level determination prior to treatment with corticosteroids. Pulmonary function was tested before and after therapy. Increase in vital capacity after treatment ranged from 40 to 1,030 ml; 12 of the 16 patients studied had an increase of more than 200 ml. There was a close correlation between the percentage uptake of gallium scan and the increase of the vital capacity after therapy (r = 0.95, p less than 0.01). There was no relationship between the percentage of lymphocytes obtained on lavage and the changes in vital capacity with therapy (r = 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the changes in vital capacity and the ratio of T4(+):T8(+)lymphocytes (r = 0.62, p less than 0.05) and number of T4 (+) lymphocytes (r = 0.92, p less than 0.01) in the bronchoalveolar fluid. There was a low correlation between the pretreatment ACE level and the change in vital capacity (r = 0.368, p greater than 0.05).
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D011379:Prognosis; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000276:immunology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D013997:Time Factors; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000187:drug effects
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A