Bronchoalveolar lavage in extrinsic allergic alveolitis: effect of time elapsed since antigen exposure. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Bronchoalveolar lavage in extrinsic allergic alveolitis: effect of time elapsed since antigen exposure.

Eur Respir J. 1993 Oct;6(9):1276-81. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94116640
Drent M; van Velzen-Blad H; Diamant M; Wagenaar SS; Hoogsteden HC; van den Bosch JM; Dept of Pulmonary Diseases, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein,; The Netherlands.

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell profile and immunoglobulin levels from patients with extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) were related to the time elapsed between last antigen exposure and BAL. For this purpose, an analysis was performed of BAL fluid (BALF) obtained from 59 nonsmoking EAA patients at various time-points after termination of antigen exposure and BAL. BALF early after antigen provocation (group 1: < 24 h) contained high absolute and relative numbers of lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and mast cells, and a low relative number of alveolar macrophages. When obtained after recent antigen exposure (group 2: 2-7 days), BALF showed high numbers of lymphocytes, plasma cells and mast cells, and high levels of immunoglobulins M, G and A (IgM, IgG and IgA). In BAL obtained one week or more after the final antigen exposure, (Group 3: 8-30 days; Group 4: 1-12 months) the distribution of all constituents showed a tendency to return to normal values, with the exception of the lymphocytes. These results demonstrate that BAL cell profile and immunoglobulin levels in EAA are highly dependent on the time-point at which the material is obtained in relation to the last exposure to the causative antigen.
Keywords: Adult Aged Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic/*IMMUNOLOGY Antigens/*IMMUNOLOGY Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/*CYTOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY CD4-CD8 Ratio Female Human Immunoglobulins/*ANALYSIS Leukocyte Count Male Middle Age Support, Non-U.S. Gov't T-Lymphocyte Subsets Time Factors JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDadultagedalveolitis,extrinsicallergic/KWDimmunologyantigens/KWDimmunologybronchoalveolarlavagefluid/KWDcytology/immunologycd4-cd8ratiofemalehumanimmunoglobulins/KWDanalysisleukocytecountmalemiddleagesupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tt-lymphocytesubsetstimefactorsjournalarticle
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M9440261

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