Pro-inflammatory activity of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid in patients with chronic lung diseases exacerbations

Abstract

Pro-inflammatory activity of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was investigated in 93 patients with exacerbations of chronic lung diseases using biological test-systems — donor blood and experimental animals (mice). Previously the BALF supernatants were decontaminated by millipore filtration. At the first investigation way BALF was added to the donor blood and examined in nitroblue tetrasolinium reduction test. Hanks’ balanced saline solution was used in the control test instead of BALF. The pro-inflammatory BALF effect was determined as the ratio of diformasan-positive neutrophile percentages in experimental and control groups (stimulation index — SI). At the second way BALF was injected into mice’ trachea. Then mice’ lungs were lavaged in 24 hours. Polymorphnonuclear leucosytes percentage in mice BALF was estimated as a value of the pro-inflamm atory BALF activity in patients (or chemotactic activity, CA). Patients BALF with low inflammatory activity was found to inhibit nitroblue tetrasolinium reduction test with donor blood neutrophiles (S K 1.0) and to stimulate slightly polymorphnonuclear leucosytes migration in respiratory system of recipient mice (CA<10%). On the contrary, BALF in patients with high inflammatory activity was found to stimulate these parameters intensively (Sl>1.5; CA>20%). Thus, our findings suggest that the values of pro-inflammatory BALF activity allow to estimate chronic lung diseases activity and to predict possible complications.