ABSTRACT
In this paper we considered the value of correctly performed bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases and in assessment of the activity of pathological process. We indicated the conditions of exact interpretation of the results of BAL cytoimmunological examination, i.e. fine standard handling of BAL material, including its collection, elaboration and choice of lavage site, as well as regarding external (e.g. cigarette smoking) and internal additional factors. We described the influence of BAL fluid recovery and of the method of staining on obtained results. We emphasized routinely performed BAL to be the valuable diagnostic and research tool in pulmonology however, the method may have limited usefulness and unnecessarily burden the patient, if technical guidelines are not observed.
Subject(s)
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/cytology , Bronchoalveolar Lavage/methods , Immunohistochemistry/methods , Lung Diseases, Interstitial/pathology , HumansABSTRACT
A simple method based on rocket and crossed immunoelectrophoresis was adapted for detection of alpha 1 AT-HNE complexes in BALF: Agarose gel with anti-alpha 1 AT combined with intermediate gel containing anti-HNE was used for detection and evaluation of the ratio of complexes with HNE to the free form of alpha 1 AT. BALF samples from 31 patients divided into 5 groups suffering from various respiratory tract diseases were tested. It was found that 3 out of 8 patients with inflammatory pulmonary diseases showed the presence of both forms of alpha 1 AT, 7 out of 13 patients suffering from cancer showed both forms, whereas the complexed form was not detected in any of 8 patients with asthma bronchiale. It is suggested that the presence of alpha 1 AT-HNE complex may reflect, to some extent, the proteolytic status of pulmonary tissue.
Subject(s)
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/chemistry , Lung Diseases/physiopathology , Lung Neoplasms/physiopathology , Ovarian Neoplasms/physiopathology , Pancreatic Elastase/analysis , Prostatic Neoplasms/physiopathology , alpha 1-Antitrypsin/analysis , Adult , Asthma/physiopathology , Electrophoresis, Agar Gel , Female , Humans , Immunoelectrophoresis , Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional , Leukocyte Elastase , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Protein BindingABSTRACT
In this study a participation of anaerobic bacteria in respiratory tract diseases is presented. Bronchial washings collected by ++fibrobronchoscope constituted material for the study. Immediately after collection the material was plated onto two media for aerobic bacteria (hemomedium) and anaerobic bacteria (anaeromedium). Then, the samples were centrifuged and a sediment was plated on solid media suitable for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Bacterial anaerobic isolates were identified by using API 20E and their sensitivity to antibiotics was tested. From the material described above the most frequently isolated anaerobic bacteria were such as: Streptococcus intermedius, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Veilonella sp. Among aerobic bacteria the most frequently isolated were Gram-negative rods, Streptococcus faecalis, Branhamella catarrhalis. It is worth to underline that in about 25% of cases anaerobic bacteria were the only isolates.
