title: Influence of age on manifestation, VC and TLCO values, and bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts of sarcoidosis and extrinsic allergic alveolitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immune response probably changes during human life, being influenced by cumulative exposure to environmental factors and individual genetic background.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients investigated for suspected interstitial lung disease were prospectively enrolled. After completing the diagnostic process, 121 patients were diagnosed extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) and 136 sarcoidosis. Three groups according to age were established (<30 years, 30-60 years, >60 years), clinical manifestation, vital capacity (VC), forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1 ), lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide-transfer factor (TLCO ) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) differential cell count were compared among the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age subgroups of EAA patients did not significantly differ in lung functions. In the group above 60 years, non-significantly higher neutrophils and eosinophils counts and CD4/CD8 ratio were observed. Sarcoidosis patients were significantly younger than EAA group and had significantly better lung functions (VC, FEV1 , TLCO ). Patients with sarcoidosis above 60 years of age had significantly higher percentages of neutrophils in BALF compared with younger patients. BALF percentage of neutrophils positively correlated with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presented results may support the hypothesis that reactivity of immune system changes during the life, which may result in different manifestation of interstitial lung diseases according to age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Thomayer Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sterclova
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paluch
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skibova
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasakova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity / Q000502:physiology*; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: bronchoalveolar lavage; extrinsic allergic alveolitis; lung aging; pulmonary function tests; sarcoidosis