[Cellular composition and T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with fibrosing alveolitis and pulmonary granulomatosis].

Cytological and immunological investigations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLF) have been performed in 87, 27, 32 and 94 patients with fibrosing alveolitis (FA), exogenous allergic alveolitis (EAA), histiocytosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS), respectively. The diseases appeared to demonstrate significant differences in BLF cell composition and relations between T-lymphocyte theophyllin-resistent and theophyllin-sensitive subpopulations. The findings can be applied in differential diagnosis of disseminated processes in the lungs. The number of neutrophils and the subpopulations correlation in FA and EAA may serve criteria of the disease activity and adequacy of the treatment administered.