Oxidant-mediated epithelial cell injury in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Abstract

Lung inflammatory cells of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) were evaluated for their ability to injure 5'Crlabeled AKD alveolar epithelial cells in the presence and absence of IPF alveolar epithelial lining fluid (ELF). The IPF cells were spontaneously releasing exaggerated amounts of superoxide (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H202) compared with normal (P < 0.02). Cytotoxicity of the AKD cells was markedly increased when the IPF inflammatory cells were incubated with autologous ELF (P < 0.02). The majority of IPF patients had ELF myelo- peroxidase levels above normal (P < 0.002). Incubation of IPF ELF with AKD cells in the presence of H202 caused increased cellular injury (P < 0.01 compared with control), which was suppressed by methionine, a myeloperoxidase system scavenger. IPF patients with high concentrations of ELF myeloperoxidase deteriorated more rapidly than those with low ELF myeloper- oxidase (P < 0.05). Thus, IPF is characterized by an increased spontaneous production of oxidants by lung inflammatory cells, the presence of high concentrations of myeloperoxidase in the ELF of the lower respiratory tract, and a synergistic cytotoxic effect of alveolar inflammatory cells and ELF on lung epithelial cells, suggesting oxidants may play a role in causing the epithelial cell injury of this disorder.