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Review
. 2022 Dec 19;15(12):1584.
doi: 10.3390/ph15121584.

The Role of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease: A Systematic Literature Review

Martina Orlandi  1 , Laura Antonia Meliante  1 , Arianna Damiani  1 , Lorenzo Tofani  1 , Cosimo Bruni  1 , Serena Guiducci  1 , Marco Matucci-Cerinic  1   2 , Silvia Bellando-Randone  1 , Sara Tomassetti  3
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease: A Systematic Literature Review

Martina Orlandi et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). .

Abstract

The role of Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) in the evaluation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) interstitial lung disease (ILD) is still controversial. The aim of this systematic literature review was to investigate the use of BAL in SSc-ILD, and to focus on the pros and cons of its real-life application. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase were questioned from inception until 31 December 2021. Results: Eighteen papers were finally analyzed. A positive correlation was observed between lung function and BAL cytology; in particular, BAL neutrophilia/granulocytosis was related to lower diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) values and lower forced vital capacity (FVC). Moreover, a positive correlation between BAL cellularity and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings has been reported by several authors. Cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, coagulation factors, and eicosanoids have all been shown to be present, more often and in higher quantities in SSc-ILD patients than in the health control and, in some cases, they were related to more severe pulmonary disease. There was no consensus regarding the role of BAL cellularity as a predictor of mortality.

Keywords: Bronchoalveolar Lavage; alveolitis; interstitial lung disease; scleroderma; systemic sclerosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflict of interest in connection with the submitted manuscript; there was no financial support or other benefits from commercial sources for the work reported on in the manuscript. Please check the COI file attached.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow chart. Flow chart describing the study inclusion and exclusion process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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