HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Dao M. Nguyen David S. Mulder Hani Shennib Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nguyen, D. M. Articles by Shennib, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nguyen, D. M. Articles by Shennib, H.

Ann Thorac Surg 1991;51:76-80
© 1991 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Articles

Altered cellular immune function in the atelectatic lung

^a McGill University Lung Transplant Program and The Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
^b Research Fellow of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Canada Canada
^c Research Scholar of the Quebec Foundation of Scientific Research Canada

Accepted for publication September 4, 1990.

^_* Address reprint requests to Dr Shennib, McGill University Lung Transplant Program, 1650 Cedar Ave, Rm 9827 L.H., Montreal, Que, Canada, H3G 1A4.

Pulmonary atelectasis is common and may predispose the lung to infection. We have previously shown that atelectasis impairs alveolar macrophage antibacterial function. This study examines the effect of atelectasis on the cytotoxic function of lymphocytes harvested from the bronchoalveolar space of atelectatic lung segments by bronchoalveolar lavage. Specifically, we studied natural killer and lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes from the atelectatic lower lobes and contralateral normal lobes in a group of 8 dogs. We observed a decline of natural killer and lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity to 62.7% and 61.5%, respectively, of preatelectasis control values in the affected lung lobes (p < 0.01). Simultaneous measurements of cytotoxic activity of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes harvested from the unaffected contralateral normal lungs were comparable with control values. On the other hand, natural killer and lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activities in peripheral blood lymphocytes were significantly increased in animals having right lower lobe atelectasis (166.7% and 154.7% of pretreated normal control, respectively, p < 0.01). Atelectasis was also associated with an influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the bronchoalveolar compartment. These findings confirm the presence of natural killer cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar compartment and demonstrate an atelectasis-induced impairment of local bronchoalveolar lymphocyte function. Such a dysfunction of local lung cellular host defenses may render the atelectatic lung susceptible to infection.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Adoumie, C. Serrick, A. Giaid, and H. Shennib Early cellular events in the lung allograft Ann. Thorac. Surg., December 1, 1992; 54(6): 1071 - 1077. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Shennib, D. Nguyen, R. D. Guttmann, and D. S. Mulder Phenotypic expression of bronchoalveolar lavage cells in lung rejection and infection Ann. Thorac. Surg., April 1, 1991; 51(4): 630 - 635. [Abstract] [PDF]