Soluble proteins of bronchopulmonary secretions from patients with cystic fibrosis, asthma, and bronchitis (original) (raw)

Abstract

The concentrations of nine plasma proteins were determined by quantitative immunoelectrophoresis in sputum specimens from 29 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and from 24 patients with severe asthma and chronic bronchitis. The results suggested that the population of CF patients could be divided into two groups in spite of an absence of difference in clinical status between the groups. Average concentrations of seven plasma proteins in sputum of group I CF patients were identical with those in sputum of patients with bronchitis, but the average concentrations of six of these proteins in sputum from group II CF patients were higher than those in specimens from the bronchitic patients and were similar to corresponding concentrations in sputum from patients with asthma, all of whom were examined while in status asthmaticus. The average concentrations of 14 secretory proteins were the same in all sputum specimens whether or not they were produced by patients with cystic fibrosis, asthma or bronchitis. It was concluded that the concentrations in the bronchopulmonary secretions of proteins associated with host defence were not diminished in patients with cystic fibrosis, and failure to produce adequate concentrations of proteins with antimicrobial activity was unlikely to be responsible for the above average susceptibility to chest infection in cystic fibrosis. It is suggested that there exists a group of CF patients in whom a pulmonary allergic reaction generates an inflammatory response as severe as that characterizing status asthmaticus and that this response could be detrimental.

72

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BROGAN T. D. EFFECT OF COMPLEMENT AND OF THE CARBOHYDRATE COMPONENTS OF SPUTUM ON PHAGOCYTOSIS BY HUMAN POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUCOCYTES. Immunology. 1964 Nov;7:626–638. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burns M. W., May J. R. Bacterial precipitins in serum of patients with cystic fibrosis. Lancet. 1968 Feb 10;1(7537):270–272. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)90121-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clarke H. G., Freeman T. Quantitative immunoelectrophoresis of human serum proteins. Clin Sci. 1968 Oct;35(2):403–413. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cooperman E. M., Park M., McKee J., Assad J. P. A simplified cystic fibrosis scoring system (a preliminary report). Can Med Assoc J. 1971 Sep 18;105(6):580–582. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HEINER D. C., SEARS J. W., KNIKER W. T. Multiple precipitins to cow's milk in chronic respiratory disease. A syndrome including poor growth, gastrointestinal symptoms, evidence of allergy, iron deficiency anemia, and pulmonary hemosiderosis. Am J Dis Child. 1962 May;103:634–654. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lopez M., Tsu T., Hyslop N. E., Jr Studies of electroimmunodiffusion: immunochemical quantitation of proteins in dilute solutions. Immunochemistry. 1969 Jul;6(4):513–526. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(69)90191-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Martinez-Tello F. J., Braun D. G., Blanc W. A. Immunoglobulin production in bronchial mucosa and bronchial lymph nodes, particularly in cystic fibrosis of the pancreas. J Immunol. 1968 Nov;101(5):989–1003. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Olitzki L. MUCIN AS A RESISTANCE-LOWERING SUBSTANCE. Bacteriol Rev. 1948 Jun;12(2):149–172. doi: 10.1128/br.12.2.149-172.1948. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ryley H. C., Brogan T. D. Variation in the composition of sputum in chronic chest diseases. Br J Exp Pathol. 1968 Dec;49(6):625–633. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Spock A., Heick H. M., Cress H., Logan W. S. Abnormal serum factor in patients with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas. Pediatr Res. 1967 May;1(3):173–177. doi: 10.1203/00006450-196705000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]