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Background: IL-6 is strongly implicated in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). IL-13 is the well-documented central mediator in allergic asthma. IL-6 is attributed to the proinflammatory activities in COPD as well as asthma. In COPD patients exacerbation is increased by serum IL-6. The association of IL-13 as well as IL-6 with the impaired respiratory function of asthma patients remains controversial. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the concentration of IL-6 and IL-13 in the induced sputum of asthma and COPD patients, and to assess the possible association of these cytokines with the impairment of lung function. Methods: Twenty-six subjects with COPD and 18 subjects with asthma were enrolled in this study. IL-6 and IL-13 levels were measured in induced sputum by ELISA and correlated with the results of respiratory tests. Results: The induced sputum of COPD patients had a significantly higher IL-6 level than the sputum of asthma subjects while no significant differences were found in the levels of IL-13. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between IL-6 level and FEV₁ or FEV₁/FVC in asthma patients (r = –0.59 and –0.54, respectively) and a negative correlation that did not reach statistical significance between IL-6 level and FEV₁, FEV₁% or FVC in COPD subjects (r = –0.30, –0.30 and –0.38, respectively). There was no relationship between concentrations of IL-13 and impaired respiratory function. Conclusions: Our results confirmed that IL-6, but not of IL-13, is associated with respiratory disorders in both asthma and COPD patients.

Our findings confirmed that TGF-beta takes part in the local response in the course of primary lung cancer.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a useful technique for differential diagnosis of various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) and is usually realized by analysis of the differential cell count. This study was conducted to estimate the value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) total cell count (TCC) in the diagnosis of ILD. We analyzed 237 BAL samples from patients with ILD: sarcoidosis (SA), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP), and smoking-related ILD (sr-ILD). The control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers. The statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the BALF TCC between healthy controls and patients with SA, IPF, HP, COP, sr-ILD, and eosinophilic disorders (mean values 6.9 vs. 14.5, 22.5, 22.8, 20.7, 64.5, and 27.3 × 10(6), respectively). Logistic regression revealed a significant relation between the TCC and ILD diagnosis. We conclude that the TCC, as well as the value of total number of inflammatory cells, should be reported in the description of BAL.

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