Tropical eosinophilia: Relationships between lower respiratory tract inflammation and changes in lung function following treatment at one year

Vijayan, V K (1993) Tropical eosinophilia: Relationships between lower respiratory tract inflammation and changes in lung function following treatment at one year. Chest, 103 (3). 249s. ISSN Print: 0012-3692; Online: 1931-3543

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Abstract

Our previous studies in 50 Tropiccal Eosinophilia (TE) patients (45 males, 5 females; age 14-48 years) had shown that radiological and pulmonary function abnormalities especially a reduction in single breath Transfer factor and a mild alveolitis were persisting at one month, immediately following treatment with a standard 3 weeks course of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) (6 mg/kg/day) (1,2). In order to study the long term sequele in such patients, physiological sudies were reevaluated at 3, 6 and 12 months, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) studies at 6 and 12 months. Twelve normal non-smoking healthy subjects were evaluated as controls for BAL, and predicted values for pulmonary function were obtained from our study (3). Of the 43 patients available for follow up at one year, reduced TLCO (<85% predicted) and KCO (<85% predicted) were found in 22 (51%) and 21 (49%) patients respectively. Seven patients (16%) had persisting airflow limitation and another 7 (16%) had restriction. BAL could be repeated in 26 patients at one year and nine of them (35%) had chrinic eosiniphilic alveolitis, i.e. and increase in percent eosinophils in BAL greater than 3 standard deviations above normal. the patients with chronic eosinophilic alveolitis (n: 9) at one year had a significantly lower TLCO (75.3 +2.9% VS 87.4+3.5%, P < 0,05) and KCO (78.8+2.8% VS 90.8+3.1%, P <0.05) compared to the patients without alveolitis (n: 17). these data suggest that 3 weeks treatment with DEC is not sufficient for complete recovery.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Tuberculosis > Clinical Research
Divisions:	Clinical Research
Depositing User:	Dr. Rathinasabapati R
Date Deposited:	23 Sep 2013 11:14
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2016 07:06
URI:	http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/360

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