Objective: To evaluate the role of cytokines released by the inflammatory cells and immunocytes from patients in pathogenesis of developing sarcoidosis.
Methods: With well- microchemotaxis and allergy immunology, the level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and neutrophil chemotactic factor (NCF) was measured in the serum and BALF of 11 sarcoidosis and 7 IPF and 8 normal subjects (non-smokers).
Results: The levels of TNFalpha (11.9 +/- 3.2, 11.7 +/- 3.0 ng x L(-1)) and NCF (191 +/- 51, 203 +/- 44 cell x 10HP(-1)) of BALF in the patients with sarcoidosis and IPF were significantly higher than these in control group (P < 0.01) and were higher than those in serum. The level of TNF-alpha in the BALF of patients with sarcoidosis was positively correlated with the percentage of lymphocytes (r = 0.73, P < 0.01). The activity of NCF in the BALF of patients with IPF was positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophils (r = 0.89, P < 0.01).
Conclusions: It indicated that TNF-alpha and NCF might play an important role in the pathogenetic process of the sarcoidosis and IPF, and can act as the marker of activity of these diseases.