CORRELATION OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR LAVAGE FINDINGS TO SEVERITY OF PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII PNEUMONIA IN AIDS - EVIDENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-PERMEABILITY PULMONARY-EDEMA

We correlated bronchoalveolar lavage findings with the clinical course and outcome of Pneumocystis pneumonia. Forty-eight patients with AIDS and a confirmed diagnosis of P carinii pneumonia were studied. Patients with additional pulmonary infections were excluded. On the basis of BAL findings, they were divided into those with a low neutrophil count (< 5 percent) and those with a high neutrophil count (greater-than-or-equal-to 5 percent). Sixteen patients with AIDS but without PCP served as a control group. All BAL fluid samples from the control group showed a low neutrophil count. The group with PCP and a high neutrophil count had more severe respiratory compromise and greater morbidity than the group with PCP and a low neutrophil count. Mortality rate was not different. The group showing a high BALF neutrophil count also showed a higher BALF protein concentration, a higher ratio of BALF protein concentration to plasma protein concentration, and the presence of alpha(2)-globulins compared with other groups. These findings suggest that increased alveolar-capillary permeability occurs during severe PCP.