Immunoglobulins, complement and arylsulphatase in sputum from chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary diseases
Turnbull, L.S.; Turnbull, L.W.; Crofton, J.W.; Kay, A.B.
Clinical and Experimental Immunology 32(2): 226-232
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9104 PMID: 668198 Document Number: 137143
Immunoglobulin [Ig]G, IgA, IgM and IgE and the individual complement (C) components C3 and C4 were measured in the sputum and serum from 26 patients with chronic bronchitis, 20 asthmatics who were skin test-positive, 6 who were skin test-negative, 7 patients with bronchiectasis, 15 with bronchial carcinoma and 5 with pneumonia. Apart from raised serum concentrations of IgE in skin test-positive asthmatics, the serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A and M were, in general, similar for all patient groups. In all subjects except those with bronchiectasis, sputum IgG was present in small amounts, whereas IgM was usually undetectable. IgA (7S) was detected in all of the sputum samples examined, 3 of the bronchiectatics having particularly high values. Appreciable amounts of IgE were found in the sputum from many chronic bronchitics and skin test-positive asthmatics, but in only a few in the other groups. Sputum C3 and C4 concentrations were low or undetectable in all groups. When the Ig or C concentrations were expressed as a sputum/serum ratio, high values were obtained for IgA in all patients groups. Compared to the other diseases, IgE ratios were elevated in chronic bronchitis and IgM ratios in bronchiectasis. Arylsulfatase IIB was also measured in the sputum and was considerably higher in bronchiectasis than in the other pulmonary disorders, consistent with the greater inflammatory changes in this condition. There is probably an association between IgE and chronic bronchitis.