Acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia: characterization of the lower respiratory tract inflammation and its response to therapy

Pinkston, Paula and Vijayan, V K and Nutman, T B and Rom, William N and O'Donnell, Kathleen M and Cornelius, Mary J and Kumaraswami, V and Ferrans, V J and Takemura, T and Yenokida, Gordon and Thiruvengadam, K V and Tripathy, S P and Ottesen, E A and Crystal, Ronald G (1987) Acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia: characterization of the lower respiratory tract inflammation and its response to therapy. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 80 (1). pp. 216-225. ISSN Print: 0021-9738, Online: 1558-8238

[thumbnail of 198712.pdf]
Preview
PDF
198712.pdf - Published Version

Download (3MB)
Official URL: http://www.jci.org/80/1

Abstract

Although acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is well recognized as a manifestation of filarial infection, the processes that mediate the abnormalities of the lung in TPE are unknown. To evaluate the hypothesis that the derangements of the lower respiratory tract in this disorder are mediated by inflammatory cells in the local milieu we utilized bronchoalveolar lavage to evaluate affected individuals before and after therapy. Inflaminatory cells recovered from the lower respiratory tract of individuals with acute, untreated TPE (a = 8) revealed a striking eosinophilic alveolitis, with marked elevations in both the proportion of eosinophils (TPE 54±5%; normal 2±5%; P < 0.001) and the concentration of eosinophils in the recovered epithelial lining fluid (ELF) (TPE 63±20 X 103/Al; normal 03±0.1 X 103/jl; P < 0.01). Importantly, when individuals (a = 5) with acute TPE were treated with diethylcarbamazine (DEC), there was a marked decrease of the lung eosinophils and concomitant increase in lung function. These observations are consistent with the concept that at least some of the abnormalities found in the lung in acute TPE are mediated by an eosinophil-dominated inflammatory process in the lower respiratory tract.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Tuberculosis > Clinical Research
Divisions: Clinical Research
Depositing User: Dr. Rathinasabapati R
Date Deposited: 21 Aug 2013 06:30
Last Modified: 15 Mar 2016 10:32
URI: http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/215

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item