Assessment of secretory IgA and neutrophil cell function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

ABSTRACT

This study was performed on twenty male patients having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and ten male normal subjects taken as controls. All of them were subjected to bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] for the determination of protein [total and electrophoresis] total Leucocytic count, alveolar macrophages, lymphocytes, neutrophil cell functions using nitro blue tetrazolium dye [NBT] test and secretory of IgA. There was an increase in the total proteins and globulin as well as in the absolute number of macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes compared to the control group. There was increased NBT reduction, i.e. stimulation of neutrophil phagocytosis, also there was significant increase of SIgA compared to the control group. This means that cellular immune response as a defense lung mechanism is stimulated