[Immunological findings of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in sarcoidosis; analysis of soluble CD4 molecule and soluble CD8 molecule].

Since the introduction of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by Reynolds and Newball in 1974, this procedure has been used to characterize the cellular and soluble components of alveolar lining fluid in many interstitial lung diseases. We reviewed BAL fluid findings of clinical and pathophysiologic researches in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Moreover, our recent data about soluble CD4 molecule (sCD4) and soluble CD8 molecule (sCD8) were also described. The sarcoidosis patients had the significantly higher level of sCD4 in BAL fluid compared with normal subjects. The level of sCD8 in serum in active sarcoidosis was significantly higher than that in normal subjects. Furthermore, significant correlation between the levels of serum sCD8 and ACE was observed in sarcoidosis.