NEUTROPHIL-RELATED CYTOKINES AND NEUTROPHIL PRODUCTS IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FLUID OF A PATIENT WITH ANCA NEGATIVE WEGENERS GRANULOMATOSIS

We report a case of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), with neutrophil acc umulation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Peripheral blood neu trophilia was present but the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (AN CA) was negative. The serum and BALF levels of neutrophil-related cyto kines, including interleukin (IL)-8, granulocyte colony-stimulating fa ctor (G-CSF) and IL-1 beta, were increased, particularly in BALF. Plas ma and BALF levels of Miyazaki neutrophil elastase and defensins, whic h are released by neutrophils and are potentially toxic to cells, were also elevated. Our findings suggest that neutrophils and neutrophil-r elated cytokines may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ant i-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody negative as well as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive Wegener's granulomatosis.