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Prognostic value of neutrophils and NK cells in bronchoalveolar lavage of sarcoidosis
Author(s) -
TutorUreta Pablo,
Citores María J.,
Castejón Raquel,
MellorPita Susana,
YebraBango Miguel,
Romero Yolanda,
Vargas Juan A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
cytometry part b: clinical cytometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1552-4957
pISSN - 1552-4949
DOI - 10.1002/cyto.b.20120
Subject(s) - bronchoalveolar lavage , sarcoidosis , medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , gastroenterology , flow cytometry , lymphocyte , immunology , cytology , lung , pathology , paleontology , biology
Background: Not all the patients with sarcoidosis need pharmacological therapy, and the decision to start therapy is based mainly on clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the leukocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from these patients. Methods: Thirty‐three nonsmoking patients with sarcoidosis were included and classified based on the presence of Löfgren's syndrome ( n = 11), the radiological stage (12 at Stage I, 17 at Stage II, and 4 at Stage III), and their follow‐up. Differential leukocyte subsets and the lymphocyte subpopulations were determined by flow cytometry. Results: The percentage of neutrophils was lower in patients with Löfgren's syndrome ( P = 0.038) and in patients at Stage I ( P = 0.002). Patients with a poor outcome had a higher percentage of neutrophils ( P = 0.004) and NK cells ( P = 0.023) than those with a stable disease. Finally, a higher percentage of NK cells was found in those patients who needed a steroid treatment ( P = 0.012). Conclusions: Increased percentages of neutrophils and NK cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with sarcoidosis are associated with a poor outcome and a higher probability to need steroids treatment. The percentage of neutrophils was also lower in patients with Löfgren's syndrome. © 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology