Il procollageno III nella valutazione della fibrogenesi nelle pneumopatie interstiziali

Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid P111p (N-terminai peptide of type 111 procollagen) was quantified in 4 groups of subjects affected by interstitial pulmonary disease; cryptogenic pulmonary fibrosis; pulmonary sarcoidosis and healthy subjects. Only in subjects with pulmonary sarcoidosis a significative correlation between P111p concentration in BAL and some . indices of progression of the disease (lymphocyte percentage in BAL, local lgGfalbumin ratio) was found. These data suggest that P111p concentration in BAL can be regarded as a useful parameter for monitoring the degree of alveolitis, reflecting an altered local synthesis of collagen.