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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

DOI

-

Abstract

Objective: Deficiency of immunoglobulin (Ig) may be responsible for recurrent infections in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to investigate the level of IgG subclass (IgGsc) in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and to try to find a possible relation between these levels and serum or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) IgGsc levels in COPD patients with recurrent acute exacerbation. Methods: Twenty-four clinically stable non-smoking COPD patients who had developed recurrent exacerbations three or four times a year and 17 individuals without COPD were enrolled as the experimental and control groups (Group I and II) respectively. The BAL procedure was performed on the groups by bronchofiberoscope. In order to calculate ELF Ig values, IgGsc and urea levels in sera and BAL fluids were measured. Results: Total Ig levels did not differ between the groups. All serum IgGscs except IgG1 increased in Group I versus the control group [mean values (mg/L)]: IgG2=3734, IgG3=1119, IgG4=405; p

Keywords

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), epithelial lining fluid (ELF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), immunoglobulin deficiency, immunoglobulin subclass deficiency.

First Page

235

Last Page

241

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