Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
Volume 162, Number 3, September 2000, 1023-1026
Volume and Cellular Content of Normal Pleural Fluid in
Humans Examined by Pleural Lavage
MARC
NOPPEN,
MARC
DE WAELE,
RONG
LI,
KRISTIEN VANDER
GUCHT,
JAN
D'HAESE,
ERIK
GERLO,
and
WALTER
VINCKEN
Respiratory Division and Departments of Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, and Anaesthesiology, Academic Hospital Academisch Ziekenhuis Vr e
Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Currently, no reliable data are available on the volume or on the
cellular content of pleural fluid in normal humans. In analogy with
bronchoalveolar lavage (a technique enabling retrieval of small
volumes of epithelial lining fluid from the lung), we developed a
pleural lavage (PL) technique consisting of injection and retrieval of 150 ml of saline into the right pleural space, performed during a thoracoscopic sympathicolysis procedure in otherwise healthy subjects suffering from essential hyperhidrosis. With urea used as
an endogenous marker of dilution, measured mean right-sided pleural fluid volume was 8.4 ± 4.3 ml. In a subgroup of subjects, we confirmed that right- and left-sided pleural fluid volumes were
similar. Expressed per kilogram of body mass, total pleural fluid
volume in normal, nonsmoking humans is 0.26 ± 0.1 ml/kg. Total
cell count in the PL fluid of nonsmoking normal subjects yielded a
median of 91 × 103 white blood cells (WBC) per milliliter of lavage
fluid (interquartile range [IR] = 124 × 103 cells/ml). Taking into
account a measured dilution factor of 18.86, the total WBC count
in the original pleural fluid was 1,716 × 103 cells/ml. Differential
cell counts yielded a predominance of macrophages (median: 75%;
IR: 16%) and lymphocytes (median: 23%; IR: 18%). Mesothelial
cells (median: 1%; IR: 2%), neutrophils (median: 0%; IR: 1%), and
eosinophils (median: 0%; IR: 0%) were only marginally present.
There were no significant differences between males and females
or between right- and left-sided pleural fluid in total and differential cell counts. In contrast, in smokers a small but statistically significant increase in pleural fluid neutrophils (median: 1%; IR: 2%;
p < 0.015) was observed. In conclusion, PL performed during thoracoscopy for sympathicolysis allowed for the first time determination of the volume and of the total and differential cell contents of
the pleural fluid present in normal human pleura.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
D. ROLSTON, E. DIAZ-GUZMAN, and M. M. BUDEV
Accuracy of the physical examination in evaluating pleural effusion
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine,
April 1, 2008;
75(4):
297 - 303.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y.C. G. Lee, D. A. Knight, K. B. Lane, D. S. Cheng, M. A. Koay, L. R. Teixeira, J. C. Nesbitt, R. C. Chambers, P. J. Thompson, and R. W. Light
Activation of proteinase-activated receptor-2 in mesothelial cells induces pleural inflammation
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol,
April 1, 2005;
288(4):
L734 - L740.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. De Smedt, E. Vanderlinden, C. Demanet, M. De Waele, A. Goossens, and M. Noppen
Characterisation of pleural inflammation occurring after primary spontaneous pneumothorax
Eur. Respir. J.,
June 1, 2004;
23(6):
896 - 900.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Zocchi
Physiology and pathophysiology of pleural fluid turnover
Eur. Respir. J.,
December 1, 2002;
20(6):
1545 - 1558.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. K. Mitri, S. D. Brown, D. Zurakowski, K. Y. Chung, O. Konez, P. E. Burrows, and A. A. Colin
Outcomes of Primary Image-Guided Drainage of Parapneumonic Effusions in Children
Pediatrics,
September 1, 2002;
110(3):
e37 - 37.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. J. TOBIN
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pollution, Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Transplantation, Pleural Disease, and Lung Cancer in AJRCCM 2000
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.,
November 15, 2001;
164(10):
1789 - 1804.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
Copyright © 2000 American Thoracic Society
|
|
|
