Expression of lymphocyte activation surface antigens in bronchoalveolar lavage and peripheral blood cells from young healthy subjects

Cell surface phenotypes of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained from a group of young healthy volunteers, including smokers and nonsmokers were studied. Results indicate that the proportions of T (CD3+) and B (CD19+) lymphocytes were comparable in PBL and BAL lymphocytes, whereas the numbers of cells bearing natural killer cell-associated markers (CD16, CD11b, CD56, and CD57) were significantly higher in PBL; in BAL lymphocytes of smokers, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was