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Elevated levels of antimicrobial peptides in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Ashitani, Jun-Ichi Matsumoto, Nobuhiro Nakazato, Masamitsu |
| Copyright Year | 2007 |
| Abstract | BACKGROUND Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) is an idiopathic pulmonary disease. As the lung is in direct communication with the environment, inhaled antigen may activate immune mechanisms in the airway that may participate in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary diseases. Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that consist of alpha-defensin (HAD) in neutrophils and beta-defensin (HBD) in epithelial cells. Defensins act as innate immunity against pathogens acquired from the environment and as mediators to induce local inflammation. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to determine whether immune mechanisms in the airway are induced in CEP patients. METHODS We measured BALF defensin levels in patients with CEP, acute EP (AEP) and drug-induced eosinophilic pneumonia (drug-EP). We also measured BALF levels of IL-5, GM-CSF, eotaxin and RANTES. These substances can recruit eosinophils. RESULTS BALF HAD levels were higher in patients with CEP than in those with drug-EP and normal controls. HBD-2 was detected in BALF of 10 of 11 CEP patients and in 3 of 5 AEP patients while its level was below detection in drug-EP patients and normal controls. BALF HBD-2 levels correlated with the proportion of lymphocytes in CEP patients. CONCLUSION The defensin-linked immune system is activated in CEP but not in drug-EP. This suggests that inhaled antigen(s) may be involved in the pathogenesis of CEP. |
| Starting Page | 69 |
| Ending Page | 75 |
| Page Count | 7 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/111778 |
| PubMed reference number | 16369124v1 |
| Volume Number | 74 |
| Issue Number | 1 |
| Journal | Respiration; international review of thoracic diseases |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid DEFB4A gene Defensins Eotaxin Gentamicins Immune system Immunity, Innate Inspiration function Irrigation Lung diseases Patients Structure of parenchyma of lung Substance Abuse Detection beta Thalassemia chronic eosinophilic pneumonia eosinophil |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
