farmers. Antibodies(assessed by DIG-ELISA)against swine dander, swine dust, and pig feed were increased and precipitating antibodies against swine dander were found in 14, against pig food in five, and against swine confinement dust in three of the 20 pig farmers. The concentration of airborne total dust was 7.4 mg/cu mm and the endotoxin concentration was 37 (22 to 60) ng/cu mm during tending ...

Titanium dioxide nanofibres (TiO2) were intratracheally instilled in dose of 4 mg/0.2 mL saline solution per animal (Wistar rats). After 48 hours and 14 days the animals were exsanguinated (under i.p. thiopental narcosis), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was perfomed and cells from BAL fluid were isolated. Following inflammatory, cytotoxic and oxidative stress BAL parameters were examined: differe...

The biomonitoring of nanoparticles in patients’ broncho-alveolar lavages (BAL) could allow getting insights into the role inhaled biopersistent etiology/development some respiratory diseases. Our objective was to investigate relationship between BAL, interstitial lung diseases and occupational exposure these particles released unintentionally. We analyzed data from a cohort 100 patients sufferi...

References and Figures are available in the above versions. List of abbreviations AM Alveolar macrophages BAL Bronchoalveolar lavage BHR Bronchial hyperreactivity CL Chemiluminescence DCC Differential cell count ROM Reactive oxygen metabolites R AW Airway resistance (measured by occlusive pressure techniques) Summary (Authors' summary in english) Possible anti-asthmatic effectiveness of ascorbi...

INTRODUCTION We assessed the in vivo effects of terbutaline, a beta2-agonist assumed to reduce microvascular permeability in acute lung injury. METHODS We used a recently developed broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) technique to repeatedly measure (every 15 min. for 4 hours) the time-course of capillary-alveolar leakage of a macromolecule (fluorescein-labeled dextran) in 19 oleic acid (OA) lung in...

nebulized heparin in patients with acute lung injury [1]. Patients were administered heparin at doses of 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, or 400,000 U/day for 2 days, and broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) fl uid samples were taken at baseline and after the last heparin dose. Th e study demonstrated a trend to reduced coagulation activation (prothrombin fragments) in BAL fl uid after the last dose of nebul...

BACKGROUND The possible association between (tuberculous and nontuberculous) mycobacterial infections and sarcoidosis is still a matter of dispute. Using diagnostic tests for specific T-cell responses, this association can be investigated in an innovative manner. OBJECTIVE To measure the T-cell responsiveness to the purified protein derivative (PPD) antigen in blood and broncho-alveolar lavag...

Depleted uranium (DU) is a radioactive heavy metal coming from the nuclear industry and used in numerous military applications. Uranium inhalation can lead to the development of fibrosis and neoplasia in the lungs. As little is known concerning the molecular processes leading to these pathological effects, some of the events in terms of genotoxicity and inflammation were investigated in rats ex...

BACKGROUND Opportunistic infections with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) are common in patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and are encountered once the CD4 count decreases below 200 cells/mm3. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) tends to cause disease once the CD4 count drops below 50 cells/mm3. CMV pneumonitis is not common in this population. However, detecting its presence in broncho-al...