ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Subepithelial fibrosis plays a major role in the development of irreversible airway obstruction in asthma. Eosinophils are major effector cells in allergic inflammation, and it has been suggested that eosinophil-derived mediators such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) play a role in the pathogenesis of airway remodeling. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether eosinophils activated by IL-5 plays a major role in the collagen gel contraction by lung fibroblasts. METHOD: Various cell numbers of lung fibroblasts were cultured in collagen gels to determine the appropriate numbers of fibroblasts. Purified human peripheral blood eosinophils were activated by IL-5 for 3 days, and TGF-beta mRNA expression was evaluated using semiquantitative RT- PCR. The cultured supernatants with or without TGF-beta were added to the collagen gel media with lung fibroblasts, and collagen gel diameter was serially measured to evaluate collagen gel contraction. RESULTS: The amount of collagen gel contraction was significantly associated with the number of fibroblasts (p 0.05). Moreover, expression of TGF-beta mRNA in eosinophils was the same before and after stimulus of IL-5. CONCLUSION: Activated eosinophils by IL-5 may play a minor role in the collagen gel contraction by lung fibroblasts.
Subject(s)
Humans , Airway Obstruction , Airway Remodeling , Asthma , Cell Count , Collagen , Eosinophils , Fibroblasts , Fibrosis , Gels , Inflammation , Interleukin-5 , Lung , Polymerase Chain Reaction , RNA, Messenger , Transforming Growth Factor betaABSTRACT
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immunologically mediated disease resulted from repeated exposure to sensitizing agents such as organic dusts or chemicals. We report two cases of familial hypersensitivity pneumonitis diagnosed by typical symptoms, physical findings, chest x-ray abnormalities, and histologic findings with a brief review of the literature. A 60-year-old woman and her 62-year-old husband successively presented with dry cough and exertional dyspnea. These symptoms developed about 20 days after the womon had started feeding cows with stored hay. The same symptoms also developed in her husband when he had handled the stored hay instead of her because of her illness. We confirmed hypersensitivity pneumonitis with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and open and transbronchial lung biopsies.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic , Biopsy , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid , Cough , Dust , Dyspnea , Hypersensitivity , Lung , Spouses , ThoraxABSTRACT
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an unusual disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of gastrointestinal tract, peripheral eosinophilia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. There are mucosal, muscular, and subserosal types, of which the subserosal type is the rarest. We experienced a 32-year old male patient with the subserosal type of eosinophilic gastroe-nteritis, who was presented with abdominal distension. The ascitic fluid revealed increased eosinophil count. With oral prednisolone, diarrhea and ascites rapidly disappeared and eosinophils in peripheral blood returned to normal. We report this case with a review of relevant literature.
