Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of normal children exposed to parental cigarette smoke

This study sought to test the hypothesis that normal children exposed to pa rental cigarette smoke have increased bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid le vels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1. Cells and solutes from the lower ain, av of normal children were obtained b y nonbronchoscopic BAL using three aliquots of 1 mL.kg body weight(-1) norm al saline, prior to elective orthopaedic surgery. Children with evidence of recent or ongoing infection, atopic disease, previous history of wheeze, a nd chronic respiratory symptoms were excluded. Twelve children with parents who smoked (group 1) were paired with 12 age- and weight-matched controls with self-reported nonsmoking parents (group 2). There was no significant difference (group 1 versus 2) in the volume of BAL fluid recovered (median 29.0 versus 28.7 mL), the percentage of alveolar m acrophages (92.5 versus 91.8%), neutrophils (1.1 versus 2.1%), lymphocytes (5.3 versus 5.6%) and eosinophils (0 versus 0%), and the total BAL fluid le ukocyte concentration (80 versus 61 X 10(3) cells.mL(-1)). BAL fluid albumi n concentration was similar between the two groups (0.033 versus 0.020 mg.m L(-1)). sICAM-1 was detected in all BAL fluid samples, and was significantl y increased in group 1 (39.2, versus 22.5 ng.mL(-1), p<0.01). It was concluded that exposure of children to parental cigarette smoke is a ssociated with increased soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 concentr ations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and this may reflect an altered activation of pulmonary immune cells.