ABSTRACT
Cigarette smokers are more susceptible to recurrent respiratory tract infection. Broncho-aveolar lavage [BAL] for these smokers demonstrated increased number of immune and inflammatory cells. Inspite of this, recurrent infection suggests that there may be functional defects concerning dealing with microorganisms by these cells. In order to throw more light on the functional activity of the most common cells in BAL i.e alveolar macrophages, one performed this study on twenty eight volunteers. Eighteen of them were moderate smokers and ten were non smokers. The two groups were matched in age and were clinically free. Transnasal fiberoptic bronchoscopy with pulmonary lavage of right middle lobe was performed in these 28 volunteers. The yielded fluids were collected and the cells after cenrifugation were subjected to total and differential count of cells/ml [XIO4 cells], estimation if phagocytic activity, phagocytic index and intracellular killing% of macrophage cells. In smoker's lavage, aveolar macrophages constitude mosy of the cells [91.23 +/- 4.31% of the total count]. Poltmorphnuclear cells were significantly increased in the smoker's lavage when compared to the non smokers [3.65 +/- 2.1% and 0.56 +/- 0.47%, respectively]. phagocytic activity was significantly diminished in smokers when compared to the non smokers [P < 0.001]. Phagocytic index was significantly decreased in the smokers when compared with the non smokers [P < 0.001]