Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after treatment with interferon alpha

• Published in: Thorax Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 33 - 37
• Main Authors: Yamaguchi, S, Kubo, K, Fujimoto, K, Honda, T, Sekiguchi, M, Sodeyama, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society 01-01-1997; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adult; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Cell Count; Chronic Disease; Cytokines - analysis; Female; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - therapy; Humans; Interferon-alpha - therapeutic use; Leukocytes; Lymphocyte Subsets; Macrophages, Alveolar; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prospective Studies; Respiratory Function Tests; Human; Alpha interferon; Cytokine; Quantization; Hepatic disease; Exploration; Respiratory system; Assay; Infection; Chemotherapy; Chronic; Treatment; Bronchoalveolar lavage; Viral disease; Antiviral; Digestive diseases; Lymphocyte; Comparative study; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0040-6376; 1468-3296
• DOI: 10.1136/thx.52.1.33

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were more likely to be seropositive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) than normal controls, and that patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) sometimes developed pulmonary fibrosis. The possibility that HCV infection and/or treatment with IFN-alpha are involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis or alveolitis was investigated. METHODS: A prospective non-randomised study was performed in 13 healthy controls and in patients with chronic hepatitis C before (n = 13) and after (n = 10) treatment with IFN-alpha. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cell counts, ratios and T cell subsets, and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor(TNF)-alpha, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were measured. RESULTS: Lymphocyte counts in the BAL fluid were significantly increased in both groups of patients (median (range) values: before treatment, 36.8 (1.5-226.0); after treatment, 16.2 (4.5-97.6)) compared with the normal controls (3.3 (0.5-32.3)). In the pretreatment group the activated T cell (HLA-Dr positive) count was also increased (51 (40-74)) compared with that in the normal controls (27 (4-52)), but after treatment it was decreased (40 (0-76)) compared with the pretreatment count. Administration of IFN-alpha did not affect these parameters. IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and HGF were not detected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that HCV infection is associated with increased counts of lymphocytes and neutrophils in BAL fluid and that treatment with IFN-alpha appears to alter lymphocyte surface markers.