Bronchoalveolar lavage and response to cyclophosphamide in scleroderma interstitial lung disease.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

The presence of inflammatory cells on bronchoalveolar lavage is often used to predict disease activity and the need for therapy in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Objectives

To evaluate whether lavage cellularity identifies distinct subsets of disease and/or predicts cyclophosphamide responsiveness.

Methods

Patients underwent baseline lavage and/or high-resolution computed tomography as part of a randomized placebo-controlled trial of cyclophosphamide versus placebo (Scleroderma Lung Study) to determine the effect of therapy on forced vital capacity. Patients with 3% or greater polymorphonuclear and/or 2% or greater eosinophilic leukocytes on lavage and/or ground-glass opacification on computed tomography were eligible for enrollment

SUBMITTER: Strange C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2176114 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature