CORRELATION BETWEEN BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE (BAL) FLUID CELL LYSATE HISTAMINE CONTENT AND BAL FLUID EOSINOPHIL COUNT IN ATOPIC AND NONATOPICASTHMATICS

We have compared the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) cellular compo sition and the BAL cell lysate histamine content (fluorometric assay) in 28 stable mild to moderate asthmatics (atopic n = 18 and intrinsic n = 10) and 11 control subjects. When compared to control subjects, th e whole group of asthmatics had a higher proportion of BAL eosinophils (p < 0.01) and metachromatic cells (p < 0.05). The BAL cell lysate hi stamine was increased in atopic (p < 0.05) and intrinsic asthmatics (p < 0.05) in comparison with control subjects. In the whole group of as thmatics, the BAL cell lysate histamine content correlated with the pe rcentage of BAL eosinophils (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). This relationship wa s significant in both atopic (r = 0.48, p < 0.05) and intrinsic (r = 0 .70, p < 0.05) asthmatics. For the whole group of asthmatics, both the BAL cell lysate histamine and the percentage of BAL eosinophils inver sely correlated with the percent predicted FEV(1) (r = -0.42, p < 0.05 ; r = -0.51, p < 0.05). We conclude that an increased BAL cell lysate histamine content correlates with airway eosinophilic infiltration and lung function impairment in mild to moderate atopic and intrinsic ast hmatics. This suggests that BAL mast cells play a key role in recruiti ng eosinophils in the airways of asthmatics irrespective of the presen ce of an atopic status.