Glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from two cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis were analyzed for glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins. The clinical courses of the two cases were entirely different. In one patient, signs and symptoms recurred despite repeated therapeutic bronchoalveolar lavages. In the other patient, three successive bronchoalveolar lavages brought about complete recovery. It was found that the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the former case contained various subtypes of glycosaminoglycans [hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate A(C), dermatan sulfate, and heparan sulfate] and glycoprotein. On the other hand, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the latter case contained glycoprotein, but no detectable amounts of glycosaminoglycans. There was only a slight qualitative difference in glycoprotein of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between the two cases. The presence or absence of glycosaminoglycans in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid may be related to the prognosis of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.