Comparative Study of Results of Bronchoalveolar Lavage of Sites Affected and Not Affected by Pulmonary Tuberculosis Immunological and Inflammatory Reaction at the Non-affected Sites in Cases of Localized Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Simultaneous bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out at the affected and non-affected (sub) segments in 30 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. In comparison with the control group, significant increases of lymphocyte proportion, IgG/Alb, and Fibronectin/Alb in BAL fluid were observed not only at sites affected by pulmonary tuberculosis, but also in non-affected segments. Furthermore, the proportion of lymphocyte and IgG/Alb correlated significantly between affected and non-affected segment. These results suggest that in pulmonary tuberculosis immune and inflammatory products are recruited in non-affected parts of the lung as well as at the affected site.