[Level of NCF and TNF-alpha in the BALF of ILD patients and their clinical significance].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the level of the neutrophil chemotactic factor(NCF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) in patients with interstitial lung disease(ILD) and the activity of ILD.


METHODS
The NCF activities in the BALF and in the serum from 11 patients with sarcoidosis, 7 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and 8 normal subjects were determined using the membrane filter and radio-immunoassay. The level of TNF-alpha was also detected.


RESULTS
In the 7 IPF patients, the level of NCF and TNF-alpha (203 +/- 44 cells/10 HP, 11.7 +/- 2.9 ng/L) in the BALF was higher than that in 8 control patients (83 +/- 45 cells/10 HP, 6.5 +/- 1.4 ng/L, P < 0.01). The level of NCF and TNF-alpha in the BALF from 11 patients with sarcoidosis (186 +/- 50 cells/10 HP, 12 +/- 3 ng/L) was highet than those in 8 control patients (P < 0.01). The level of NCF and TNF-alpha in the BALF from patients with IPF was positive correlated with the percentage of neutrophil (NCF: r = 0.89, P < 0.01; TNF-alpha: r = 0.86, P < 0.05). The level of NCF and TNF-alpha in the BALF of patients with sarcoidosis was positive correlated with the percentage of lymphocyte (NCF: r = 0.78, P < 0.01; TNF-alpha: r = 0.73, P < 0.01.


CONCLUSIONS
The level of NCF and TNF-alpha in the BALF from patients with IPF and sarcoidosis can act as the marker of the activity of alveolitis of IPF and sarcoidosis.
Chen
W
W
Institute of the Respiratory Disease, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001.
Li
Z
Z
Hou
X
X
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha