Association of increased number of bronchoalveolar lymphocytes with patient age and IgE-mediated allergic reaction

The proportion and number of lymphocytes in the airways were analyzed in 15 patients with a high proportion of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (more than 30%) and in 17 patients with less than 20% of BAL lymphocytes. 1. Both atopic and nonatopic asthma patients with a high proportion of BAL lymphocytes were aged more than 50 years. In contrast, the age of patients with less than 20% of BAL lymphocytes ranged widely, from 29 to 63 years, in the two asthma types. 2. Age at onset of the disease, serum IgE levels, and ventilatory function test were not related to the proportion of BAL lymphocytes. 3. In patients with a high proportion of BAL lymphocytes, the mean proportion of these cells was 47.3% in atopic patients and 36.4% in non-atopic patients, i. e., there was no significant difference between the two asthma types. The absolute number of BAL lymphocytes in these patients was significantly higher in atopic (5.62×10(6)) than in nonatopic asthma (0.77×10(6)) (p<0.01). These findings show that an increased number of lymphocytes in the airways is clearly related to patient age and IgE-mediated allergic reaction.

気管支肺胞洗浄(BAL)液中のリンパ球頻度が30%以上の15例および20%以下の17例の気管支喘息患者を対象に,BAL液中リンパ球頻度と年齢およびIgE系反応との関連について検討を加えた｡1.BALリンパ球が高頻度(30%以上)を示す症例は,アトピー型,非アトピー型を問わず,50才以上の年齢層に多い傾向が見られた｡一方,BALリンパ球20%以下の症例の年齢は,29-63才まで幅広く分布していた｡2.発症年齢,血清IgE値,換気機能とBAL液中リンパ球頻度との間には関連は見られなかった｡3.BAL液中リンパ球頻度が高い症例では,アトピー型では平均リンパ球頻度は47.3%,非アトピー型では36.4%であったが,両群間には有意の差は見られなかった｡しかし,BAL液中のリンパ球の絶対数は,アトピー型(5.62×10(6))において,非アトピー型(0.77×10(6)) に比べ有意に高い値を示した(p<0.01)。これらの結果は,気道内リンパ球の増加は,患者年齢とIgE系反応と密接に関連していることを示唆している。