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Original article
High concentrations of pepsin in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from children with cystic fibrosis are associated with high interleukin-8 concentrations
  1. P McNally1,2,
  2. E Ervine3,
  3. M D Shields3,
  4. B D Dimitrov4,
  5. B El Nazir2,
  6. C C Taggart1,
  7. C M Greene1,
  8. N G McElvaney1,
  9. P Greally2
  1. 1Respiratory Research Division, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
  2. 2Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, National Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
  3. 3Respiratory Research Cluster, Centre for Infection and Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
  4. 4Department of General Practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
  1. Correspondence to Dr Paul McNally, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin 12, Ireland; paul.mcnally{at}olchc.ie

Abstract

Background Gastro-oesophageal reflux is common in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and is thought to be associated with pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. The measurement of pepsin in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid has recently been suggested to be a reliable indicator of aspiration. The prevalence of pulmonary aspiration in a group of children with CF was assessed and its association with lung inflammation investigated.

Methods This was a cross-sectional case–control study. BAL fluid was collected from individuals with CF (n=31) and healthy controls (n=7). Interleukin-8 (IL-8), pepsin, neutrophil numbers and neutrophil elastase activity levels were measured in all samples. Clinical, microbiological and lung function data were collected from medical notes.

Results The pepsin concentration in BAL fluid was higher in the CF group than in controls (mean (SD) 24.4 (27.4) ng/ml vs 4.3 (4.0) ng/ml, p=0.03). Those with CF who had raised pepsin concentrations had higher levels of IL-8 in the BAL fluid than those with a concentration comparable to controls (3.7 (2.7) ng/ml vs 1.4 (0.9) ng/ml, p=0.004). Within the CF group there was a moderate positive correlation between pepsin concentration and IL-8 in BAL fluid (r=0.48, p=0.04). There was no association between BAL fluid pepsin concentrations and age, sex, body mass index z score, forced expiratory volume in 1 s or Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation status.

Conclusions Many children with CF have increased levels of pepsin in the BAL fluid compared with normal controls. Increased pepsin levels were associated with higher IL-8 concentrations in BAL fluid. These data suggest that aspiration of gastric contents occurs in a subset of patients with CF and is associated with more pronounced lung inflammation.

  • Cystic fibrosis
  • pepsin
  • aspiration
  • inflammation
  • innate immunity
  • paediatric lung disaese

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval This study was conducted with the approval of the St James's Hospital/Adelaide and Meath Hospital incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland and full informed parental consent was obtained for all procedures.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.