[Cytoimmunologic changes in material obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in asymptomatic individuals chronically exposed to silica dust].

The aim of this study was to determine and to evaluate silica induced lung cell reactivity--if any--in bronchoalveolar space, before clinical changes develop. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out in 15 nonsmoking individuals with chronic professional silica exposure, free of lung signs and symptoms. Controls were healthy nonsmokers.

[Mast cell: it's significance in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytologic diagnosis of bronchial asthma and interstitial lung disease].

The analysis of mast cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is rarely performed in routine diagnostic protocol. The BAL mast cells are rather difficult to be identified due to their paucity and technical problems with fixation and staining methods. The present study was carried out in order to characterize quantitatively and morphologically of mast cells obtained in bronchoalveolar lavage from 38 patients with several lung disorders.

Pulmonary infiltrates with masto- and lymphocytosis in BALF associated with arechine.

Pulmonary infiltrates developed in a 40-year-old man while receiving arechine. The hyperplasia of mast cells, hyperlymphocytosis, a predominance of cytotoxic T-cells of the CD8 type with the very low CD4/CD8 ratio in BAL were observed. The chest roentgenogram findings resolved within a month after discontinuing arechine therapy.