       Document 0128
 DOCN  M9610128
 TI    Relation of bronchoalveolar lavage T lymphocyte subpopulations to rate
       of regression of active pulmonary tuberculosis.
 DT    9601
 AU    Yu CT; Wang CH; Huang TJ; Lin HC; Kuo HP; Department of Thoracic
       Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital,; Taipei, Taiwan.
 SO    Thorax. 1995 Aug;50(8):869-74. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96010116
 AB    BACKGROUND--Effective host defence against mycobacterial infection
       chiefly depends on the interactions between macrophages and T
       lymphocytes. This study investigated the relation of cellular components
       and their activity of cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
       from the lower respiratory tract to disease regression in patients with
       active pulmonary tuberculosis without HIV infection. METHODS--Clinical
       indices including age, sex, the presence of diabetes, fever, the
       presence of resistant strains of mycobacteria, the bacterial load in
       sputum, and disease extent on chest radiography at presentation were
       assessed before commencing four-drug antituberculous therapy. Twenty two
       patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis were divided into rapid,
       intermediate, and slow regression groups. Subpopulations of alveolar
       macrophages separated using discontinuous Percoll density gradient
       centrifugation and T lymphocytes (with CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD25
       monoclonal antibodies) were quantified. RESULTS--There were no
       differences among rapid, intermediate, and slow regression groups in
       terms of age, sex, the presence of diabetes, the presence of resistant
       strains of mycobacteria, or the bacterial load in sputum. No differences
       were found between the groups in terms of subpopulations of alveolar
       macrophages or numbers of CD3 and CD4 lymphocytes. By contrast, an
       increase in CD8 cells was shown in the slow regression group compared
       with the rapid and intermediate regression groups. CD25 cell numbers
       were increased in the rapid regression group compared with the slow
       regression group. The CD4/CD8 ratio was decreased in the slow regression
       group compared with the rapid and intermediate regression groups and the
       relation between the proportion of CD25 cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio in
       BAL fluid was significant. CONCLUSIONS--A decreased CD4/CD8 ratio with
       an increase in CD8 cells in the alveolar spaces was associated with slow
       disease regression in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis
       without HIV infection, suggesting that the balance of T lymphocyte
       subsets may play a central part in the modulation of host defence
       against mycobacterial infection.
 DE    Antitubercular Agents/THERAPEUTIC USE  Bronchoalveolar Lavage
       Fluid/*IMMUNOLOGY  CD4-CD8 Ratio  Female  Human  Leukocyte Count
       Macrophages  Male  Middle Age  Receptors, Interleukin-2/ANALYSIS
       *T-Lymphocyte Subsets  Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/*DRUG THERAPY/IMMUNOLOGY
       JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

