• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• 제21권1호
• /
• pp.10.1-10.13
• /
• 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is a global infectious disease with rapid spread. Some patients have severe symptoms and clinical signs caused by an excessive inflammatory response, which increases the risk of mortality. In this study, we reanalyzed scRNA-seq data of cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of patients with COVID-19 with mild and severe symptoms, focusing on Ab-producing cells. In patients with severe disease, B cells seemed to be more activated and expressed more immunoglobulin genes compared with cells from patients with mild disease, and macrophages expressed higher levels of the TNF superfamily member B-cell activating factor but not of APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand). In addition, macrophages from patients with severe disease had increased pro-inflammatory features and pathways associated with Fc receptor-mediated signaling, compared with patients with mild disease. CCR2-positive plasma cells accumulated in patients with severe disease, probably because of increased CCL2 expression on macrophages from patients with severe disease. Together, these results support the hypothesis that different characteristics of B cells might be associated with the severity of COVID-19 infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제82권1호
• /
• pp.86-87
• /
• 2019

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권4호
• /
• pp.2443-2446
• /
• 2013

Published data have shown that the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) in plasma and pleural effusion might be usefulness for lung cancer diagnosis. Here, we performed a prospective study to investigate the utility of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for differential diagnosis of primary lung cancer. A total of 56 patients with solitary pulmonary massed by chest radiograph or CT screening were enrolled in this study. BALF and plasma samples were obtained from all patients and analyzed for VEGF and sVEGFR-1 using a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. The results showed that the levels of VEGF in BALF were significantly higher in patients with a malignant pulmonary mass compared with patients with a benign mass (P < 0.001). However, no significant difference of sVEGFR-1 in BALF was found between malignant and non-malignant groups (P = 0.43). With a cut-off value of 214 pg/ml, VEGF showed a sensitivity and specificity of 81.8% and 84.2%, respectively, in predicting the malignant nature of a solitary pulmonary mass. Our study suggests that VEGF is significantly increased in BALF among patients with lung cancer than in benign diseases. Measurement of VEGF in BALF might be helpful for differential diagnosis of primary lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제72권2호
• /
• pp.177-181
• /
• 2012

Activated charcoal is an inert substance and it is used in standard therapy in patients with acute intoxication. Charcoal has some side effects such as pulmonary aspiration, gastrointestinal complications, and electrolyte abnormalities. Although aspiration of charcoal is a rare complication, it can cause fatal sequelae. We report a 69-year old man who developed acute respiratory failure associated with charcoal aspiration after management of glyphosate poisoning. The patient was drowsy and suffered severe vomiting during transport to our hospital. On arrival, acute respiratory failure was observed due to charcoal aspiration, but the clinical state was improved with repeated bronchoscopy with a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). We presumed that the aspirated charcoal was an important factor in evoking a lung injury. Early bronchoscopy with a BAL might be an effective method for eliminating charcoal from the lung, especially in the case of a large amount of aspiration, and be helpful in decreasing respiratory failure due to charcoal aspiration.

• 대한의생명과학회지
• /
• 제20권3호
• /
• pp.111-116
• /
• 2014

Human neutrophils play an essential role in the innate immune response and are involved in the pathogenesis of the severe and corticosteroid-resistant asthma. Asthma is characterized by an infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lung and by a cytokine release. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) on the chemotaxis and apoptosis of neutrophils which were isolated from healthy subjects. The BALF of subjects with asthma induces the blood neutrophil chemotaxis in the opposite of that in normal subjects. The IL-8, IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in BALF were higher in subjects with asthma than in normal subjects. The BALF of normal and asthmatic subjects has no effect on neutrophil apoptosis of BALF. MCP-1 delays the constitutive apoptosis of normal blood neutrophils, but has no effect in normal BALF neutrophils. These results may indicate that inflammatory factors secreted by the lung tissue of patients with asthma trigger the neutrophil chemotaxis and also induce the neutrophil dysregulation.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제71권5호
• /
• pp.322-327
• /
• 2011

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii is a fungus that has become an important cause of opportunistic infections. We present a summary of the clinical status and findings from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). Methods: We selected 30 cases of PJP that were proven through a surgical specimen evaluation. BAL fluid cytology was reviewed, and agreement with the initial diagnosis was evaluated. Results: All 30 cases of PJP occurred in immunocompromised patients. Only 15 of the 30 cases were initially diagnosed as PJP. We found PJP in 13 of the 15 cases that were negative at the initial diagnosis. The most characteristic finding of PJP was frothy exudates, and BAL fluid tended to show rare neutrophils. Two of seven patients with PJP and diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) revealed no frothy exudates in BAL fluid. Conclusion: BAL fluid cytology was reconfirmed as a sensitive and rapid method to diagnose PJP. We must be aware of the possibility of PJP to maintain high diagnostic sensitivity. We cannot exclude PJP in cases of PJP with DAD, even if frothy exudates are not observed in the BAL fluid.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제46권1호
• /
• pp.82-88
• /
• 1999

Herpes simplex virus pneumonia in immunocompromised host is difficult to diagnose with non-invasive method, and has high mortality rate. Because early diagnosis and early treatment can significantly decrease the mortality rate, the enthusiastic efforts for the early diagnosis should be done. A 41-year-old woman who took prednisolone due to mixed connective tissue disease developed gradually increasing dyspnea with radiological features of interstitial lung disease. Initially, we treated her with empirical antibiotics, but failed to improve her dyspnea. So we performed bronchoalveolar lavage and open lung biopsy. Open lung biopsy specimen showed herpes simplex virus pneumonia. Herpes simplex virus was also isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. There was both clinical and radiological improvement after treatment with acyclovir for 14 days.

• 한국임상수의학회지
• /
• 제29권2호
• /
• pp.194-197
• /
• 2012

호흡곤란과 기침을 주 증상으로 보이는 세마리 개가 내원하였다. 신체검사, 혈액검사와 더불어 영상학적 검사가 진행되었다. 한마리 개에서는 흉부 방사선 사진상 연부조직 밀도를 보이는 종괴가 폐엽에서 확인 되었고 CT 검사를 통해 종양 가능성이 배제되었다. 두마리 개에서 폐에 기관지 확장증이 동반된 기관지 간질 침윤이 확인되었고 세 마리 개 모두 조직병리학적 검사 혹은 세포학적 검사를 통해 호산구성 기관지폐병증이 진단되었다. 약 처방 후 임상 증상은 신속히 개선되었고 영상검사상에서 병변의 감소가 뚜렷하게 관찰되었다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• 제67권5호
• /
• pp.402-408
• /
• 2009

Background: Pre-B-cell colony enhancing factor (PBEF) has been suggested as a novel biomarker in sepsis and acute lung injury. We measured the PBEF in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of acute critically ill patients with lung infiltrates in order to evaluate the clinical utility of measuring PBEF in BAL fluid. Methods: BAL fluid was collected by bronchoscope from 185 adult patients with lung infiltrates. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was then performed on the collected fluids to measure the PBEF. Results: Mean patient age was 59.9 ${\pm}$14.5 years and 63.8% of patients were males. The mean concentration of PBEF in BAL fluid was 17.5 ${\pm}$88.3 ng/mL, and patients with more than 9 ng/mL of PBEF concentration (n=26, 14.1%) had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on the BAL exam day. However, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between survivors and non-survivors. In patients with leukocytosis (n=93) seen on the BAL exam day, the linear regression analysis revealed a significant, positive relationship between PBEF and APACHE II ($r^2$=0.06), SOFA score ($r^2$=0.08), Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score ($r^2$=0.05), and plateau pressure in patients on ventilators ($r^2$=0.07) (p<0.05, respectively). In addition, multivariate regression analysis with PBEF as a dependent variable showed that the plateau pressure ($r^2$=0.177, p<0.05) was correlated positively with PBEF. Conclusion: The PBEF level in the BAL fluid may be a useful, new biomarker for predicting the severity of illness and ventilator-induced lung injury in critically ill patients with lung infiltates and leukocytosis.

• 한국산업보건학회지
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.224-234
• /
• 2012

Objectives: To assess the hazard of Korea chrysotile and anthophylite, fibers were analyzed for their physicochemical properties by transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (TEM-EDS). Methods: To evaluate the biopersistence of 2 domestic asbestos, Sprague-Dawely rats were exposed to 2 mg asbestos by intratracheal instillation. Each asbestos (chrysotile ; $8,814,244{\times}10^6$ fibers/mg, average size $0.08{\mu}m{\times}4.39{\mu}m$, anthophyllite ; $5,182{\times}10^6$ fibers/mg, average size $0.95{\mu}m{\times}7.29{\mu}m$) were evaluated after a single intratracheal instillation. At times from 1 week to 4 weeks after exposure, the numbers of asbestos fivers in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in the lung were calculated. Results: Anthophyllite fivers continuously have retained for 4 weeks but chrysotile fivers were rarely found at 4 weeks after exposure in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Chrysotile fivers at 4 weeks after treatment were not observed but anthophyllite was easily observed in the lung with phase contrast microscopy. According to electron microscopic observation of asbestos in the lung, within 1 week after the administration of chrysotile fivers were decreased rapidly but anthophyllite fivers were very little change for 4 weeks. When chrysotile fivers have been lost Fe in 1 week, there were no significant changes in anthophyllite fivers in the lung. Conclusions: These findings indicate that after a long time exposure to chrysotile, asbestos bodies can not be found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.