Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:6.2.1.7 (BAL)
 1,977 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The evaluation of activation markers such as T4/T8 ratio and HLA-DR expression of lymphocytes of bronchoalveolar lavage (L-BAL) is an important clinical approach for the staging of sarcoidosis. However, it is not known to what extent this is paralleled by an exaggerated lymphocyte function. We investigated the dependence of L-BAL activation markers on the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by L-BAL and on the soluble IL-2 receptor serum level (sIL-2R) in 116 patients with sarcoidosis. In none of the combinations tested was a correlation between the two groups of parameters found; r less than 0.5, upper 90% confidence limit of r less than 0.8. Interestingly, IL-2 production is independent of HLA-DR+ T4 L-BAL, and sIL-2R production is independent of the percentage of IL-2+ L-BAL. Our data indicate that the L-BAL activation markers and the functional activity of T-cells represent independent phenomena.
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PMID:Correlation of clinical and immunologic parameters of the inflammatory activity of pulmonary sarcoidosis. 174 45

To investigate whether interleukins are involved in the formation of alveolitis in pulmonary sarcoidosis, interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages (AM) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by PHA-stimulated lung and blood T-cells were determined in 35 untreated patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The amount of IL-1 produced by AM (BAL IL-1) was significantly increased in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis compared with that in 18 control subjects. BAL IL-1 showed a significant positive correlation with the intensity of alveolitis assessed by the proportion of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the absolute number of lymphocytes per milliliter of BALF. However, the amount of IL-2 produced by lung T-cells (BALT IL-2) showed a significant negative correlation with the intensity of alveolitis. BALT IL-2 was significantly lower than the amount of IL-2 produced by blood T-cells (PBT IL-2). There was no correlation between PBT IL-2 and the intensity of alveolitis. These results suggest that IL-2 contributes to the formation and maintenance of alveolitis in pulmonary sarcoidosis, whereas IL-2 production by lung T-cells is suppressed to down-regulate the enhanced immune processes at the site of disease. The possibility that this hyporesponsiveness of lung T-cells to PHA has resulted from the modulation of the T3-T cell receptor complex remains to be determined.
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PMID:Interleukins in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Dissociative correlations of lung interleukins 1 and 2 with the intensity of alveolitis. 326 77

In formulating a reasonable position about the clinical use of BAL and its analysis, one must acknowledge that it is still an experimental procedure that needs further assessment, and it must continue to be included as part of patient research protocols. Therefore, neither the patient nor his/her insurance carrier should foot the bill, yet. The cost involved in analysis of BAL fluid and serum raises another consideration about how many things need to be measured and what tests give the essential information and are the most discriminating. Clearly, all of the assays suggested by some of the BAL results given in table 2 are not necessary. The cell count and the differential count, indicating the relative percentage of lymphocytes among the respiratory cells, and monoclonal antibody staining to distinguish the various T-cell subtypes give most of the essential cell information that relates to activity of alveolitis and to diagnosis in the interstitial lung diseases. Finding a very high percentage of lymphocytes in BAL fluid shifts the differential diagnosis in an unknown diffuse interstitial lung disease to the possibility of a granulomatous process, especially sarcoidosis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis; whereas elevated PMN with about 3% eosinophils also present suggests possible idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Many of the protein and enzyme assays have a role in describing immunopathogenesis, but are rarely measured until a few days after the procedure. Some quite sophisticated cell mediators can be measured, such as interleukin-2 produced by helper T-lymphocytes and many macrophage effector substances that may give more precise information than just cell counts and various immunoglobulin values. These assays require complex biochemical and cell culture work and are only available in special research laboratories, limiting the availability of such tests. Thus, it is not easy to suggest just what tests should be conducted with BAL cells and fluid to tailor costs yet give comprehensive clinical information, too. The use of BAL to obtain cells and proteins lining the alveolar space in many ways is still in its infancy, and new applications are being sought for a substantial list of lung diseases. Just the tip of the iceberg has been investigated, and much more may remain to be uncovered.
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PMID:Bronchoalveolar lavage. 354 17

Mycobacterium-specific human helper T-cell clones produce a Th1 pattern of cytokines in vitro: interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), but little or no IL-4 or IL-5. To test the hypothesis that a similar Th1-like pattern of cytokine gene expression occurs in vivo in pulmonary tuberculosis we used in situ hybridization to detect cytokine mRNA expression by bronchoalveolar lavage cells from nine patients with microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis and nine control subjects. Because IFN-gamma may also originate from alveolar macrophages, simultaneous immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization was applied to determine whether cytokine mRNA was localized to bronchoalveolar macrophages in addition to T-lymphocytes. When samples from patients with tuberculosis and control subjects were compared, there was a significant increase in numbers of IFN-gamma mRNA-positive BAL cells per 1,000 among patients with tuberculosis (p < 0.01). Differences between the two groups in the proportions of cells expressing IL-2, IL-4, or IL-5 mRNA were not significant. Expression of IFN-gamma mRNA by macrophages was detected (median, 14.3% of IFN-gamma mRNA-positive BAL cells). However, the majority of IFN-gamma mRNA expressing BAL cells were T-lymphocytes (median, 80.7%). Activation of Th1-like bronchoalveolar T-lymphocytes, together with production of IFN-gamma by alveolar macrophages, may contribute to the local cellular immune response in pulmonary tuberculosis.
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PMID:Evidence for a Th1-like bronchoalveolar T-cell subset and predominance of interferon-gamma gene activation in pulmonary tuberculosis. 814 65