In contrast to naive T cells, reactivation of memory cells is less dependent on CD28-mediated costimulation. We have shown that circulating beryllium-specific CD4(+) T cells from chronic beryllium disease patients remain CD28-dependent, while those present in the lung no longer require CD28 for T cell activation. In the present study, we analyzed whether other costimulatory molecules are essent...

A chronic spastic myelopathy associated with HTLV-I infection (HTLV-I-associated myelopathy: HAM) shows subclinical pulmonary involvement with bronchoalveolar T lymphocytosis. In the present study, we investigated 18 patients with HAM: five HTLV-I carriers without myelopathy and 13 normal control subjects seronegative for HTLV-I to determine if soluble IL-2 receptors (IL-2R), a marker of lympho...

BACKGROUND Interstitial lung diseases are characterised by the recruitment of mononuclear cells to disease sites where maturation occurs and activation products, including lysozyme (LZM), are released. Analysis of in vitro cell culture supernatants for activation products masks the functional heterogeneity of cell populations. It is therefore necessary to examine the secretion of activation pro...

Vitamin E is a potent reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) scavenger. It is a lipid-soluble vitamin and its main function is to protect polyunsaturated fatty acids against oxidative stress. Twenty-five mechanically ventilated Intensive Care Unit (ICU) adult patients participated in a prospective randomized clinical trial receiving either placebo (10 patients) or 3 IM doses (1000 IU each) of vitami...

   Background: Pulmonary disorders caused by parasites are common in many tropical regions. Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic parasite, and most of its dangerous complications are seen in patients with immune deficiencies. Considering the high dissemination of Acanthamoeba parasite in water, soil, and fine airborne dust in Iran, this research was performed to study the rate of pulmonary secreti...

background and objectives: sputum smear staining for acid-fast bacilli is initial approach to the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (ptb) but more than 50% of cases are sputum smear-negative. this study was aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of fiberoptic bronchoscopy (fob) guided bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) in patients suspected to have tuberculosis. methods: this prospective cross-s...

OBJECTIVE To assess the presence of neutrophil and lymphocyte fibrosing alveolitis by bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with early undifferentiated connective tissue disease (EUCTD) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHOD Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 13 patients with EUCTD who exhibited signs of lung involvement by non-invasive methods including lung function tests and high res...

BACKGROUND Exhaled nitric oxide has been proposed as a marker for airway inflammation in asthma. The aim of this study was to compare exhaled nitric oxide levels with inflammatory cells and mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from asthmatic and normal children. METHODS Children were recruited from elective surgical lists and a non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed...

This study examined the role of cysteine proteinases and their inhibitor in the development of emphysema in comparison with neutrophil elastase (NE) complexed with alpha1-protease inhibitor (NE-alpha1-PI), which was previously demonstrated to be increased in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from subjects with subclinical emphysema. Eight nonsmokers and 31 current smokers with (n=17) and witho...

Although inflammatory changes are found throughout the airways of patients with chronic bronchitis, the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate airways inflammation in patients with and without an exacerbation of bronchitis. Thirteen chronic bronchitic patients and nine normal subjects were studied. Eight of the patients w...