Increased levels of interleukin-18 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine that can induce interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and it plays an important role in T-helper 1 responses. Among idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) has an increased number of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid compared with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). However, the difference in their pathogenesis is unclear. The present study aims to investigate the roles of IL-18 in patients with idiopathic UIP and idiopathic NSIP. We measured the serum and BAL fluid (BALF) levels of IL-18 and IFN-gamma in 22 patients with IIP (12 with UIP, 10 with NSIP) and 9 healthy volunteers. Lymphocyte proportions in BALF were significantly higher in NSIP than in UIP and healthy subjects. No significant differences were observed in the serum IL-18 levels of all subjects, while the BALF levels of IL-18 in patients with NSIP were significantly higher than in patients with UIP (p < 0.005) and in healthy subjects (p < 0.005). Among all subjects, the levels of IL-18 in BALF correlated significantly with those in serum and the lymphocyte proportions in BALF. The serum IFN-gamma levels of all subjects were below sensitivity, but there was significant reverse correlation between the levels of IFN-gamma and the lymphocyte proportions in BALF. The lymphocytosis in BALF of patients with idiopathic NSIP and a part of idiopathic UIP might be associated with the high levels of IL-18.

Ishii H ，Mukae H ，Kadota J ，Fujii T ，Abe K ，Ashitani J ，Kohno S ... -  《RESPIRATION》

Increased levels of interleukin-6 are associated with lymphocytosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Park CS ，Chung SW ，Ki SY ，Lim GI ，Uh ST ，Kim YH ，Choi DI ，Park JS ，Lee DW ，Kitaichi M ... -  《AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE》

Comparison of BALF concentrations of ENA-78 and IP10 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia.

Nakayama S ，Mukae H ，Ishii H ，Kakugawa T ，Sugiyama K ，Sakamoto N ，Fujii T ，Kadota J ，Kohno S ... -  《RESPIRATORY MEDICINE》

[Comparison of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from nonspecific interstitial pneumonia and from ordinary interstitial pneumonia].

Sakamoto N ，Mukae H ，Kakugawa T ，Nagata T ，Kaida H ，Ishii H ，Abe K ，Kadota J ，Matsukura S ，Kohno S ... -  《-》

CCL18 in serum, BAL fluid and alveolar macrophage culture supernatant in interstitial lung diseases.

CCL18 is a CC chemokine produced mainly by antigen-presenting cells, and is chemotactic predominantly for T-lymphocytes. CCL18 can stimulate pulmonary fibroblasts and increase the collagen production in vitro. This study aimed to compare the CCL18 levels in a variety of human biological fluids between various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), and to reveal potential correlations with BAL cell differentials. Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from 199 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (iNSIP), respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease/desquamative interstitial pneumonia (RB-ILD/DIP), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) or sarcoidosis. Alveolar macrophage (AM) culture was performed in 44 patients with IPF, iNSIP, COP, HP, sarcoidosis or non-ILDs. The CCL18 levels in serum, BALF and AM culture supernatant were measured with ELISA. Both serum and BALF CCL18 levels in all ILDs were higher than in controls (all p < 0.005). In HP, CCL18 serum levels were the highest of all ILDs, and its BALF levels were significantly higher than in other ILDs except iNSIP. The BALF CCL18 levels markedly correlated with BAL cell differentials, especially with the percentage of BAL lymphocytes. In AM culture supernatant, the spontaneous CCL18 production was higher in HP and COP than in IPF and controls. CCL18 levels in serum, BALF and AM culture supernatant are markedly increased in various inflammatory and fibrotic ILDs. However, the CCL18 level being highest in HP among the investigated ILDs suggests that CCL18 may be more profoundly involved in inflammatory immune responses.

Cai M ，Bonella F ，He X ，Sixt SU ，Sarria R ，Guzman J ，Costabel U ... -  《-》