RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Immune responses in lungs of patients with tuberculous pleural effusion without pulmonary tuberculosis
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP P2801
VO 42
IS Suppl 57
A1 Mjid Meriem
A1 Jouda Cherif
A1 Sonia Toujani
A1 Leila Bouhaja
A1 Yassine Ouahchi
A1 Nozha Ben Salah
A1 Hafedh Zakhama
A1 Jalloul Daghfous
A1 Béchir Louzir
A1 Samir Boubaker
A1 Abdemajid Ben Hmida
A1 Nadia Mehiri
A1 Majed Béji
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P2801.abstract
AB Background: Because most studies of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) focused on the pleural space, little information regarding lung parenchyma is available. We hypothesized that TPE patients without pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) would have pulmonary immunological changes.Aim: Investigate the composition of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in TPE patients without pulmonary TB and to compare BAL composition of the same and contra lateral side of the TPE.Methods: Newly diagnosed untreated patients with TPE were enrolled in this study. TPE was confirmed in all cases by pleural biopsy. Patients with any evidence of pulmonary TB were excluded. BAL was performed at the same (Group 1:G1) and the contra lateral side (Group 2:G2) of TPE. All patients were consenting for participation in the study.Results: During the study period, 19 patients were enrolled (10 female and 9 male). Mean age was 40 ± 19 years. Clinical manifestations were dominated by chest pain and fever. Pleural effusion was unilateral in all cases (right-side: 14 cases, left-side: 5 cases). Tuberculin skin tests were positive in 8 patients and peripheral blood lymphopenia was found in 10 cases. BAL fluid formula was abnormal in 17 cases (G1) versus 10 cases G2 (p<0.05). Lymphocyte cell count in BAL fluid was significantly increased in G1 comparing to G2 (p<0.05). A slight increase in the percentage of neutrophils was seen in G1 (p>0.05). There were significant immune responses in the same side of TPE patients without pulmonary tuberculosis.Conclusion: These results suggest that TPE may induce a significant immune response in lung parenchyma especially in adjacent tissue.