S Si im mu ul lt ta an ne eo ou us s m me ea as su ur re em me en nt t o of f c co ol ll la ag ge en n t ty yp pe e--V VI I--r re el la at te ed d a an nt ti ig ge en n a an nd d p pr ro oc co ol ll la ag ge en n t ty yp pe e--I II II I--N N--p pr ro op pe ep pt ti id de e l le ev ve el ls s i in n b br ro on nc ch ho oa al lv ve eo ol la ar r l la av va ag ge e Biochemical parameters which are correlated with collagen synthesis and degradation may be helpful to monitor fibrosis. In this study, we compared the sensitivity and specificity of procollagen type-III-N-propeptide (PIIINP) and collagen type-VI (C-VI) related antigen levels, as well as a ratio of both parameters (PIIINP/C-VI), in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with diffuse and localized lung disease. We investigated 45 patients with diffuse lung disease (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), n=21; sarcoidosis, n=13; and lymphangitic carcinomatosis (LC), n=11); 58 control subjects; and 92 patients with localized lung disease (bronchial carcinoma, n=37; pulmonary tuberculosis, n=31; and pneumonia, n=24). C-VI and PIIINP were measured by immunoassay in concentrated BALF.Although the PIIINP and C-VI levels were increased in diffuse lung disease, the sensitivity of the individual parameters PIIINP and C-VI was low ( Simultaneous measurement of C-VI and PIIINP in BALF from patients with diffuse chronic lung diseases may be a more sensitive approach to assess disturbances in collagen metabolism than the determination of each single parameter. Eur Respir J., 1994Respir J., , 7, 1221Respir J., -1226

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