Cellular components of the bronchoalveolar lavage correlate with lung function impairment and extrapulmonary involvement markers in active sarcoidosis.
Sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory multiorgan disease of unknown origin. Our previous study demonstrated a significant correlation between the relative count of non CD4(+), non CD8(+) lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage of active sarcoidosis patients and proangiogenic activity of BAL homogenates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in a group of 40 patients with active sarcoidosis the possible relationship between the intensity of alveolitis, particularly the non CD4(+), non CD8(+) lymphocyte subset, and other parameters characterizing the level of pulmonary (lung function tests) and extrapulmonary (spleen longitudinal dimension) disease activity. We found that the relative count of non CD4(+), non CD8(+) lymphocytes in BAL correlated positively with spleen size (r=0.50, P<0.01) and negatively with static compliance (r=0.43, P<0.05). We concluded that the lymphocytes belonging to the non CD4(+)non CD8(+) subset participate in the inflammatory process in sarcoidosis. However, more detailed phenotypic and functional characteristics of this cellular population are needed.
Chorostowska-Wynimko
J
J
Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Immunology, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Warsaw, Poland. j.chorostowska@igichp.edu.pl
Leśniewska-Radomska
D
D
Krychniak-Soszka
A
A
Remiszewski
P
P
Szopiński
J
J
Wesołowski
S
S
Kuś
J
J
Skopińska-Rózewska
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology