Cells were taken from the peripheral lung by bronchoalveolar lavage in 43 subjects including 15 patients with bronchial asthma, 11 patients with sarcoidosis, 4 patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 2 patients with lung fibrosis, and 11 normal adults as controls. Chemotaxis of alveolar macrophage to zymosan activated serum was observed, using an agarose plate method. The results were as follows. 1) The chemotaxis of alveolar macrophages from healthy smokers was increased, compared to that of nonsmokers. The alveolar macrophages from smokers with bronchial asthma or sarcoidosis also showed increased chemotaxis. 2) Alveolar macrophage chemotaxis was significantly decreased in asthma patients(nonsmokers) than in healthy nonsmokers. 3) Alveolar macrophage chemotaxis in asthma patients(nonsmokers) was not influenced by the regimen of small or middle doses of glucocorticoid hormone. 4) The chemotaxis of alveolar macrophages from patients with sarcoidosis(nonsmokers) was significantly decreased, compared to that of healthy nonsmokers. 5) Alveolar macrophage chemotaxis was increased in a patient with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and decreased in patients with lung fibrosis.
肺胞マクロファージ(alveolar macrophage)
化学走性気管支喘息(chemotaxis bronchial asthma)
気管支肺胞洗浄法(broncho-alveolar lavage)