Effects of aging on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells in patients with asthma

Effects of aging and glucocorticoid therapy on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells, particularly lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils, were examined in 81 patients with asthma. 1. The proportion of BAL lymphocytes tended to increase with aging in asthmatics under age 69 years, and the proportion was significantly higher in patients with asthma between the ages of 60 and 69 than in those under age 39 and between the ages of 40 and 49. 2. The proportions of BAL neutrophils and eosinophils were not related to aging. 3. The proportion of BAL lymphocytes was higher in patients without glucocorticoid therapy than in those with steroid-dependent intractable asthma (SOIA) in those under age 69 years. In patients between the ages of 50 and 59, the proportion of BAL lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients without glucocorticoids than in those with SOIA. 4. The proportion of BAL neutrophils was higher in patients without glucocorticoid therapy than in those with SOIA, and the difference was significant in patients between the ages of 60 and 69. 5. The proportion of BAL eosinophils was not related to glucocorticoid therapy. These results suggest that the proportion of BAL lymphocytes and neutrophils is affected by aging and glucocorticoid therapy, but not BAL eosinophils.
気管支喘息81例を対象に,気管支肺胞洗浄(BAL)液中の細胞成分,特にリンパ球,好中球および好酸球に対する加齢および副腎皮質ホルモ ンの影響について検討を加えた｡ 1.BAL液中のリンパ球頻度は,69才以下の症例では加齢とともに増加する傾向を示し,60-69才の年齢層では,39才以下および40-49才の年齢層の症例に比べ有意に高い値を示した｡ 2.BAL液中の好中球および好酸球頻度と加齢との間には関連が見られなかった｡ 3.BAL液中のリンパ球頻度は,69才以下の症例では,ステロイド依存性重症難治性喘息(SDIA)に比べ,ステロイド非使用例で有意に高い値を示し,50-59才の年齢層ではその差は有意であった｡ 4.BAL液中好中球頻度は,ステロイド非使用例に比べSDIA症例において高い値を示し,60-69才の年齢層ではその差は有意であった｡ 5.BAL液中好酸球頻度は,ステロイド使用の有無との関連は見られなかった｡これらの結果は,BAL液中リンパ球および好中球頻度は加齢や副腎皮質ホルモン投与の影響を受けるが,BAL液中好酸球額度には影響しないことを示唆している｡