Local pulmonary immunity in pigeon breeder's disease. A case study.

We studied pulmonary and systemic aspects of the immune response in a patient with pigeon breeder's disease before and after an inhalation challenge with pigeon serum. Macrophage migration inhibition was induced with bronchoalveolar wash cells exposed to both pigeon serum and pigeon dropping extract before but not after challenge. Peripheral blood lymphocytes exposed to these antigens did not induce inhibition of guinea pig peritoneal macrophage migration before challenge. However, after challenge peripheral blood lymphocytes did cause macrophage migration inhibition when exposed to pigeon serum. Both systemic and bronchoalveolar lymphocytes proliferated when exposed to these pigeon antigens in vitro. Our patient represents the first reported case of lymphokine production by pulmonary as well as systemic lymphocytes in hypersensitivity pneumonitis.