[Respiratory permeability studies by clearance of an aerosol solute and bronchoalveolar lavage in interstitial pneumopathies].

Two methods of assessing the permeability of the respiratory epithelium have been compared: the ratio of serum albumin concentration to bronchoalveolar albumin (BA/S Alb) and the clearance of the aerosolized 99mTc-diethylene-triamine-penta-acetic acid (Tc-DTPA). The study population consisted of a control group of 21 normal subjects (group C1) in whom BA/S Alb was determined, a control group of 26 normal subjects (group C2) in whom the clearance of Tc-DTPA was measured and a group of 27 patients with interstitial lung disease including 20 with sarcoidosis (group PI) in whom both BA/S Alb and the clearance of Tc-DTPA were measured. BA/S Alb was higher in group PI (3.55 +/- 2.44 mg X g-1) than in group C1 (0.67 +/- 0.31 mg X g-1; p less than 0.001). The clearance of Tc-DTPA was higher in group PI (3.64 +/- 4.05% X min-1) than in group C2 (1.18 +/- 0.31% X min-1; p less than 0.01). BA/S Alb value exceeded the normal value of 1.33 mg X g-1 in 23 of the 27 patients, but the clearance of Tc-DTPA exceeded the normal value of 1.82% X min-1 in 15 of the 27 patients (X2 = 6.4; p less than 0.02). No correlation has been observed between BA/S Alb and the clearance of Tc-DTPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)