[Modifications of the cytoimmunological pattern of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) material caused by cigarette smoking in selected lower air-way diseases].

Introduction: In the last years we have used flow cytometry as an auxiliary diagnostic tool in alveolar lymphocyte (i.e. originating from BAL) phenotyping in more than 500 persons suspected for lower airways pathology.

[Cigarette smoking results in the number of CD8+Fas Ligand+ T cytotoxic lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)].

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease with unfavourable outcome. Tobacco consumption in IPF exacerbates the clinical manifestations and limits the time of patient survival. The cyto-immunological alterations caused by smoking in IPF patients need particular explanation.

[Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) level in broncholaveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is positively correlated with CD4/CD8 ratio in selected interstitial lung diseases].

Unlabelled: IFN-gamma a potent antifibrotic activity in interstitial lung diseases (ILD). T cells, both Th1 and Tc1, are considered to be the main local source of IFN-gamma.

Material And Methods: BAL fluids of 98 patients with ILD, incl.

[Apoptosis of alveolar lymphocytes in sarcoidosis and in control group is more frequent in smokers than in nonsmoking persons].

Cigarette smoking enhances apoptosis rate of alveolar macrophages. However, little is known about the appearance and extension of apoptosis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lymphocytes originating from smoker individuals, both in pulmonary sarcoidosis (the disease characterized by lymphocytic alveolitis) and in controls. BAL was carried out in 60 nontreated patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, subdivided acc.

Expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in alveolar macrophages and lymphocytes obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in interstitial lung diseases (ILD). Assessment of IGF-I as a potential local mitogen and antiapoptotic cytokine.

Little is known about IGF-I expression in the alveolar lymphocytes (AL), and about local role of IGF-I in physiological conditions and in interstitial lung diseases. Bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out in patients with silicosis, asbestosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis, as well as in control subjects (n = 13, 9, 12, 56, 15, resp). Alveolar macrophages (AM) and lymphocytes (AL) were studied for (1) IGF-I, BCL-2, Fas and Fas Ligand expression and (2) cell cycle (incl.

[Metabolic polymorphisms and biomarkers of exposition to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)].

Polyunsaturated aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed during the incomplete combustion of organic material, as an ingredient in cigarette smoke, in exhaust fumes, and forest fires. They are not electrophilic per se, but are converted to electrophiles by cellular enzyme systems. Enzymes with these function fall into classes "phase 1" and are members of cytochrome P450 superfamily of monooxygenases.

[Studies on insulin-like growth factor-I expression in human lower airways].

Unlabelled: Antisense techniques that inhibit intracellular expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were efficient in gene therapy of some tumor diseases. IGF-I in the airways is considered to induce lung fibrosis in interstitial lung diseases, inhibit apoptosis of epithelial cells and participate in local carcinogenesis.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study was--by examining the IGF-I expression in the lower airways--to evaluate preliminary the efficacy of anti-IGF-I antisense technicques in the treatment of airways diseases.

[Clinical course of acute poisoning with olanzapine].

Olanzapine is a new atypical antipsychotic drug acting on different receptors. A variety of pharmacologic effects are responsible for toxicity and the variety of clinical symptoms seen in overdose: tachycardia, agitation or aggression, dysarthria, extrapyramidal dystonic effects, sedation or coma, small pupils, blurred vision, respiratory depression, hypotension. A retrospective analysis of clinical course of eight acute olanzapine intoxication treated at the Department of Clinical Toxicology Jagiellonian University Medical College is presented.

[Apoptosis of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes (L-BAL) in pneumoconiosis].

Background: The appearance and extension of apoptosis phenomenon in lymphocytes originated from the lower airways of patients with pneumoconioses, including silicosis and asbestosis, as well as its relation to the clinical data, remains unclear.

Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out in 11 patients with silicosis, 8 with asbestosis and in 7 control subjects. L-BAL were a) studied for CD95 and CD95 Ligand expression, b) permeabilized and stained with PI (flow cytometry, ModFit software) for apoptosis/cell cycle analyses and c) stained with Annexin V FITC/PI.