title: Cytokine profile and proteome analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage of patients with sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis associated with systemic sclerosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the type of immune response (Th1, Th2) and protein composition of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of patients with sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Flow cytometry analysis of intracellular cytokines revealed different patterns: in IPF and SSc Th2 profiles were predominant, whereas in sarcoidosis Th1 prevailed. The proteomic analysis of BAL fluid (BALF) showed that there were quantitative differences between the three diseases. These were more evident between sarcoidosis and IPF, confirming our previous observations, whereas SSc had an intermediate profile between the two, however with some peculiarities. Comparison of BALF protein maps, constructed with the same quantity of total proteins, enabled us to identify the main profiles of the three diseases: an increase in plasma protein prevalent in sarcoidosis and also present in SSc, though for fewer proteins with respect to IPF and a greater abundance of low molecular weight proteins, mainly locally produced, in IPF. These findings are in line with the different pathogenesis of these diseases: IPF is considered a prevalently fibrotic disorder limited to the lung, with intense local production of functionally different proteins, whereas sarcoidosis and SSc are systemic immunoinflammatory diseases.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Diseases Section, Department of Clinical Medicine and Immunological Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. rottoli@unisi.it <rottoli@unisi.it>
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rottoli
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magi
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Perari
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liberatori
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikiforakis
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bargagli
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cianti
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pallini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000276:immunology*; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020543:Proteome