[Concentration of sialic acid in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in selected interstitial pulmonary diseases]

Sialic acid is a component of cell membranes and it can take part in immunological processes with lymphocytes and neutrophiles. In the present work the concentration of sialic acid in BALF in selected interstitial pulmonary disease was studied (in sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis, avian fanciers lung) and compared with the control group of healthy persons. The investigations were repeated during the observations. The patients were divided into active and inactive groups. The analysis included the results in 187 patients divided into 9 groups. Sialic acid was measured with colorimetric method with the use of Ehrlich's reagent. The growth of sialic acid concentration in supernatant of BALF was observed in the studied diseases. The increase of sialic acid occurs in inflammatory processes especially those with neutrophiles. The correlation of acid concentration with the percentage or the total number of lymphocytes in BALF was observed. It is specific that the concentration of sialic acid in BALF in patients with avian fanciers lung keeps growing even after the contact with the antigen was discontinued.