Expression of bcl-2 protein in bronchoalveolar lavage cell populations from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate changes in the expression of the antiapoptotic protein bcl-2 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell populations in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).


METHODS
Ten patients with IPF underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the area of maximal radiographic shadowing (based on high-resolution computed tomography findings). Results were compared with those of 10 normal people in the control group. Cellular bcl-2 expression was identified using an immunoperoxidase staining method.


RESULTS
A statistically significant (P < .001) increase in the expression of bcl-2 in BALF neutrophils and eosinophils was observed in patients with IPF as compared with controls. BAL macrophages exhibited only a slight (statistically insignificant) increase in bcl-2 expression in IPF patients. No bcl-2 expression was observed in BAL lymphocytes from IPF patients in contrast to the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The overexpression of bcl-2 on BALF neutrophils and eosinophils, cells that characterize the special cellular profile of alveolitis in IPF, could be one of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disease.
Mermigkis
C M
CM
3rd Pulmonary Department, Sismanoglio General District Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Tsakanika
K
K
Polychronopoulos
V
V
Karagianidis
N
N
Mermigkis
D
D
Bouros
D
D
D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D002452:Cell Count; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2