Cytokine pattern in broncho-alveolar lavage in children with Cystic Fibrosis and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Purpose of research: Assessing the system of neutrophil elastase (NE) -the activity and content of antiproteases (anti-NE) in children with congenital bronchial pathology (CBP), lung pathology (CLP) and cystic fibrosis (CF).Patients and Methodology: 59 patients, 1-17 years, were studied, all with CB&LP and CF.Control Group (C) included 10 children with no somatic pathology.The NE activity was judged by the intensity of division of N-metoxysuccinyl-ALA-ALA-PRO-VAL-L-Nitroanilide on the DU 530 Beckman spectrometer.The content of NE and anti-NE was determined by immuno-enzymic method.Results: The highest NE levels (5 times higher than those in the C) were demonstrated in patients with CBP; patients with CLP demonstrated somewhat lesser levels and the CF patients showed still lesser levels.The CF patients' levels of NE were 2.5-3 times higher than those in the C (in all cases p < 0.05-0.01).NE level in groups showing considerable differences in the enzyme content did not differ much from the C. It was only in patients with CLP that the NE activity was 2 times lower than in the C, while in others it slightly exceeded the C data.The level of anti-NE in CF patients was 2 times higher than in C and CB&LP.Conclusion: It was found that the NE amounts and activity in the C was relatively on the same level.In CBP and CLP patients, the amount of NE was 10 and 5 times (respectively) higher than the data for the activity of the enzyme, while in the CF patients, it was only 3 times higher, with the level of anti-NE being 2 times lower than in other groups, which, evidently, is the reason for overproduction of viscous bronchial secretion in CF cases.