Talc-induced inflammation in the pleural cavity

Talc administration into the pleural cavity induces pleurodesis. To obtain further insight into the inflammatory process that causes pleurodesis, the cellular kinetics in the pleural space after the administration of talc was studied, along with its relation to chemokine concentrations in the pleura l fluid, Thirteen consecutive patients with idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax and eight patients with malignant pleural effusions received talc pleurodesis. The first group was treated with talc poudrage, whereas the second group wa s treated with talc slurry, Pleural fluids were isolated before talc admini stration as well as 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h afterwards. The talc induced a rapid polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) influx followed by an accumulation of macrophages, In addition, increased production of in terleukin (IL)-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 was observed, The talc-induced PMN influx reached its maximum after 3-24 h, and was related to the IL-8 concentration,In contrast, the MCP-1 was not related to the mac rophage accumulation. Talc-induced inflammation in patients with idiopathic spontaneous pneumotho rax and malignant pleural effusion is characterized by an influx of polymor phonuclear neutrophils related to interleukin-8, followed by an accumulatio n of monocytes.