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Processing of lung lavage fluid causes variability in bronchoalveolar cell count
The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|August 1, 1984
Summary
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell counts are affected by processing methods. Cell washing and cytocentrifugation speed significantly alter lymphocyte and macrophage counts, impacting diagnostic accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Cell Biology
- Diagnostic Techniques
Background:
- Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is crucial for diagnosing lung diseases.
- Standardized cell counting methods are essential for accurate interpretation of BAL fluid analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different processing techniques influence bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts.
- To identify specific factors that introduce variability in BAL fluid analysis.
Main Methods:
- Compared cell counts from 77 BAL procedures in healthy subjects and sarcoidosis patients.
- Evaluated the impact of readers, hemocytometers, macrophage identification methods, cell washing, and cytocentrifugation speed.
Main Results:
- Macrophage percentages differed significantly between neutral red staining and May Grunwald Giemsa staining.
- Cell counts decreased by 34% after two washings.
- Higher lymphocyte counts were observed after cytocentrifugation at 90 g compared to 23 g.
Conclusions:
- Bronchoalveolar lavage cell counts are sensitive to variations in fluid processing.
- Standardization of BAL processing is recommended to minimize variability and ensure reliable results.