LACK OF T-HELPER LYMPHOCYTES IN BAL FLUID FROM A HIV-NEGATIVE PATIENTWITH RECURRENT NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIAL LUNG INFECTIONS

We describe here a previously healthy, 42 year old, HIV-negative woman , Following a seemingly successful 2-year antimycobacterial regimen fo r a lung infection caused by Mycobacterium avium/intracellulare she ac quired a lung infection caused by M. chelonei, Characterization of alv eolar cells from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid using flow cytometry rev ealed a total lack of T-cell subset CD4(+) helper lymphocytes in-spite of a normal proportion of the CD3(+) and CD4(+) T-cells in peripheral blood, The levels of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, TGF-beta and G-CSF w ere higher in the patient's alveolar cells than in the cells of 4 heal thy controls, This imbalance of cells and cell cytokines may contribut e to the patient's susceptibility for non-tuberculous mycobacteria and her failure to eradicate these microorganisms.