[Alveolar macrophages in asthmatic patients: study of their phagocytic function]

Alveolar macrophages (AM) form the first line of defense against aggression in the lungs. The goal of the present study was to evaluate AM phagocytic function in two types of asthmatic patients: allergic asthma (14 patients) and asthma following ingestion of aspirin (6 patients). Macrophages obtained from bronchiolo-alveolar washings were isolated as a result of their adherence to glass and cultured for 24 hours. The results show that AM viability and phagocytosis of zymosan are reduced in the asthmatic patient. Decreased viability in patients sensitive to aspirin may be the result of alveolar eosinophilia, a quasiconstant finding in asthmatics. Although impaired phagocytosis of zymosan may be explained by the presence of surface IgE on AM of the allergic asthma patient, this is not the case for the aspirin sensitive patient.