[Diagnostic potential of biochemical and cytological parameters in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in healthy calves and calves with pneumonia].

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (LF) was obtained from cranial as well as from caudal regions of the bovine lung in healthy and pneumonic calves. LF was investigated biochemically, cytologically, and bacteriologically. In healthy lungs free of pneumonic lesions, no differences due to the different parts of the lung were established. An increase in both protein content and number of cells and a marked influx of neutrophils were found to be the most important alterations caused by pneumonic lesions. The diagnostic potential of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and the size of alveolar macrophages in LF was validated.