title: Prostaglandins and thromboxanes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid: possible immunoregulation in sarcoidosis.
abstract: Prostaglandins are known to be secreted into body fluids. Arachidonic acid cyclooxygenase metabolites (AACM), including prostaglandin E (PGE), prostacyclin, and thromboxane, were measured in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in 11 patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis and 7 healthy volunteers. Using a quantitative technique, we found no difference in the amount of PGE per milliliter lung fluid between the sarcoid group (1,950 +/- 1,507.4 pg/ml lung fluid, mean +/- SD) and the control group (2,112 +/- 932.3 pg/ml lung fluid). In patients with sarcoidosis, there was a positive correlation between the number of lymphocytes in the BAL fluid and the amount of PGE and prostacyclin per milliliters of lung fluid (r = 0.71 and r = 0.81, p less than 0.01), but not thromboxane.
mesh_terms: D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000032:analysis; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000032:analysis*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013931:Thromboxanes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D013931:Thromboxanes; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D011464:Epoprostenol