Increased soluble CD14 levels in BAL fluid in pulmonary tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pulmonology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• CD14 is a monocyte/macrophage glycoprotein.
• Soluble CD14 (sCD14) is elevated in various inflammatory conditions like septicemia, polytrauma, and sarcoidosis.
• Increased sCD14 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is noted in active sarcoidosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).
• To compare sCD14 levels in PTB patients with healthy controls.
• To explore potential correlations between sCD14 and cellular characteristics in PTB.

Main Methods:

• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on 12 active, untreated PTB patients and 12 healthy controls.
• Cytologic and immunocytologic analyses of BAL fluid were conducted.
• Soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels were quantified using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Main Results:

• Patients with PTB exhibited significantly higher sCD14 levels in BAL fluid compared to controls (34.4 ± 9.6 ng/mL vs. 11.5 ± 2.2 ng/mL, p=0.02).
• No significant correlation was observed between sCD14 levels and BAL cell differentials.
• No correlation was found between sCD14 levels and BAL lymphocyte surface markers.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is associated with increased soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid.
• This elevation of sCD14 in PTB is similar to findings in sarcoidosis.
• sCD14 may serve as a biomarker in inflammatory lung diseases characterized by granuloma formation.