الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 171 |  |  |
| | | from | 171 | | |
Abstract
Bronchiectasis is a chronic debilitating condition characterized by abnormally and permanently dilated pulmonary airways. The main symptoms are chronic cough with daily tenacious sputum production and recurrent respiratory infections. Humoral immunity involves both the major immunoglobulin classes IgM, IgG, IgA and IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4). Impaired specific antibody responses to encapsulated pyogenic bacteria such as Hib and pneumococcus have also been reported. The present work was conducted in Chest department at Benha University Hospital between March 2011 and December 2013 to study humoral immunity in patients with bronchiectasis and to find the relation with the disease if any. Forty two subjects were included in this study, 28 bronchiectasis patients (18 males and 10 females), 8 diseased controls (6 males and 2 females) and 6 healthy controls (all were females). All patients were submitted to full history taking (including smoking history), full clinical examination, ventilatory function tests by the flow volume measurement, chest X- ray PA view for early screening of bronchiectasis and to exclude other pulmonary disorders, HRCT of the chest for accurate diagnosis of bronchiectasis and its anatomical sites, measurement of serum IgA, IgM, IgG and IgG4 by radial immunodiffusion plate method, general laboratory tests ( CBC, ESR, 114
Liver and kidney functions, while healthy subjects underwent ventilatory function tests by the flow volume measurement, chest X- ray PA (for exclusion of chest problems), measurement of serum IgA, IgM, IgG and IgG4 by radial immunodiffusion plate and general laboratory tests (CBC, ESR, Liver and kidney functions).
It was found that, 7.3%, 3.6%, 14.2% and 21.5% of patients have subnormal levels for IgA, IgM, IgG and IgG4 respectively. While 64.2% showed elevated IgA and IgG and 35.7% showed elevated IgM. IgG4was not elevated in any patients. So bronchiectasis was commonly associated with increased rather than lowered serum immunoglobulin levels.