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  • Cytokine profile of bronchoalveolar lavage in systemic sclerosis with interstitial lung disease: comparison with usual interstitial pneumonia

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Letter
Cytokine profile of bronchoalveolar lavage in systemic sclerosis with interstitial lung disease: comparison with usual interstitial pneumonia
  1. F Meloni1,
  2. R Caporali2,
  3. A Marone Bianco1,
  4. E Paschetto1,
  5. M Morosini1,
  6. A M Fietta1,
  7. F Bobbio-Pallavicini2,
  8. E Pozzi1,
  9. C Montecucco2
  1. 1Department of Haematological, Pneumological and Cardiovascular Sciences, Section of Pneumology, University of Pavia and IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
  2. 2Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy, Section of Rheumatology, University of Pavia and IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr F Meloni
    Dipartimento di Scienze Ematologiche, Pneumologiche e Cardiovascolari Mediche e Chirurgiche, Sezione di Pneumologia, Università di Pavia, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Via Taramelli 5, 27100 Pavia, Italy; federica_melonilibero.it

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2003.014019

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    Interstitial lung disease (ILD), which often develops in systemic sclerosis (SSc), is associated with a better prognosis than idiopathic usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) because only a limited number of patients with SSc progress to end stage fibrosis.1,2 Mechanisms driving the fibrotic evolution of ILD are still poorly understood, but, recently, on the basis of animal models, a pathogenetic role has been ascribed to an imbalance in the local Th1/Th2 response, with an expansion of the Th2 profile.3

    METHODS AND RESULTS

    We studied the cytokine profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 28 patients with SSc-ILD (6 men, 22 women; mean (SD) age 50.3 (8.9) years). All patients with SSc satisfied the preliminary American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for classification of the disease,4 and respiratory disease was defined on the basis of functional tests and high resolution computed tomography findings as at least grade 1 …

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