BOOP: what is old, what is new?
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to U Costabel.
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The histories of 19 surgical patients with carcinomas of the lungs were examined for exposure to asbestos, and the patients investigated with BAL and lung tissue analysis for the presence of AB. In 63% there was a history of occupational exposure to asbestos; in 47% there was an above-average asbestos load in the lung tissue. In 22% of the patients with exposure to asbestos, the BALF was positive. The asbestos content of lung tissue was appreciably higher than that of a published control group with no carcinoma of the lungs, on the basis of post-mortem material.
In pleural effusions, histologically proven to be malignant in 13 patients with small cell lung cancer, the immunocytological profile of tumour cells, together with the distribution of the lymphocyte subpopulations, were established. In all cases, tumor cells were demonstrable with the monoclonal antibodies EMA, HEA-125, Sam 2, 6, 8 and 10. In contrast, conventional cytology was positive in only 6 of the 13 cases. As in other malignant or inflammatory effusions, phenotyping of the lymphocytes revealed an elevated T4/T8 ratio in comparison with the normal value for peripheral blood.
Bronchoalveoläre lavage (BAL) allows microscopic, cytologic and immunocytologic diagnosis of alveolar and interstitial lung disease. The indications for BAL depend on chest X-rays, signs and symptoms and lung function tests, e.g., spirometry or whole-body plethysmography, CO-diffusion capacity and blood gases during exercise. Supporting laboratory parameters are angiotensin converting enzyme, antinuclear antibodies and serum precipitins. Pulmonary parenchymal pathology documented on chest X-rays or by high-resolution computed tomography of the chest allows selective investigation of the involved areas. Different typical patterns with predominantly neutrophils or lymphocytes and their subsets or the presence of malignant cells or Pneumocystis carinii in the BAL fluid allowed the diagnosis in 115 patients. If possible, histological confirmation should be achieved by transbronchial biopsy. When indications are carefully applied and are based on the history as well as the clinical signs and symptoms, BAL is an efficient diagnostic tool in interstitial lung disease, which can be performed in out-patients even if transbronchial biopsy is done.
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In order to answer the question whether in sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis there is a relationship between the activity of alveolitis (T4/T8 ratio in sarcoidosis, number of granulocytes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) and the activity of connective tissue formation (type III procollagen peptide in the BAL fluid) BAL was performed in 12 healthy subjects, 33 patients with type II sarcoidosis, and 26 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In the unconcentrated BAL fluid of the healthy subjects, P3P was not measurable. On the basis of the T4/T8 ratio and P3P in type II sarcoidosis, three groups of patients with possibly different risks of progression were found: 1) T4/T8 normal and P3P not or only mildly elevated, 2) T4/T8 elevated and P3P normal or only mildly elevated, 3) T4/T8 elevated and P3P greatly increased. In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the concentration of P3P correlated significantly with the number of granulocytes and the clinical activity parameters. On the basis of these results, we conclude that P3P levels in the BAL fluid, as a direct measure of connective tissue neogenesis, may be a valuable addition to cellular and immunocytological BAL findings.
For this study, the results of 487 BAL investigations involving 126 patients with sarcoidosis, 34 patients with exogenous-allergic alveolitis, 18 subjects with healthy lungs, and 309 patients with other pulmonary disorders, were analysed. The diagnoses had been established independently of the BAL results. After elimination of interdependent variables, the discriminatory usefulness of the BAL parameters: total number of cells, relative percentage of lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and T4/T8 ratio, was analysed with the aid of ROC curves and the Wilcoxon test. The ROC curves permit a rapid overview of the differential significance of the various BAL variables, and identify the relationship between sensitivity and specificity.