2-DIMENSIONAL GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS OF NASAL AND BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGEFLUIDS AFTER OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE

Human nasal lavage fluids (NLFs), and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (B ALFs) were analyzed with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) an d the protein patterns were evaluated with a computerized imaging 2-DE system. With silver staining about 1000 spots were detected in 10 mu g samples of NLF or BALF. Both BALF and NLF 2-DE patterns showed simil arities to a reference plasma pattern and about 25 plasma proteins wer e identified in NLF as well as in BALF. Comparison showed that the lev els of albumin and transferrin appeared to be slightly higher in BALF than NLF, while the levels of IgA, IgG and haptoglobin beta were highe r in NLF than in BALF. In contrast to BALF and blood plasma, NLF conta ined large amounts of a cluster of acidic proteins (pI 4.5-5.5) with m olecular masses of 15-30 kDa. Distinct alterations in the NLF 2-DE pat terns were found in a worker who developed an asthmatic condition with bronchial hyperreactivity after exposure to organic acid anhydrides. After exposure, 14 protein spots were increased and one decreased by a factor of > 3 as compared to the levels before exposure and compared to healthy individuals. This is the first study indicating that 2-DE o f NLF may be used to investigate early changes in airway protein patte rns induced by occupational exposure to irritating chemicals.