Characteristics of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with sulfur mustard gas-induced asthma or chronic bronchitis

PURPOSE: To examine the pattern of immunoglobulins and cellular constituent s in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from patients with sulfur mustar d gas-induced asthma or chronic bronchitis as compared with healthy control subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied two groups of nonsmoking veterans with eit her bronchial asthma (n = 21) or chronic bronchitis (n = 28) believed to ha ve been caused by sulfur mustard gas exposure and a third group of healthy, nonsmoking, non-sulfur mustard gas exposed controls (n = 17). Bronchoalveo lar lavage was performed in all three groups. The cellular constituents, al bumin content, and immunoglobulin concentrations were determined. RESULTS: The three groups did not differ in age or in the serum albumin and immunoglobulin concentrations. The volume of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid recovered was approximately 10% less in the patients with asthma and chroni c bronchitis (P = 0.008). The proportions of lymphocytes among the bronchoa lveolar lavage cells were similar in all three groups, whereas the proporti on of eosinophils was greater in lavage fluid from the asthmatic subjects t han in either the healthy central subjects or the patients with chronic bro nchitis (P = 0.0001). Both the total number of the recovered cells per mill iliter of lavage fluid and the proportion of neutrophils were significantly greater in bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with chronic bronchitis th an in healthy subjects or in the patients with asthma (all P <0.001). CONCLUSION: The bronchoalveolar lavage cellular-constituents of patients wi th sulfur mustard gas-induced asthma and chronic bronchitis are similar to those that have been observed previously in patients with asthma and chroni c bronchitis from other common causes. Am J Med. 1999;106:625-628. (C) 1999 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.