Spontaneous production of interleukin-1 alpha and beta by alveolar cells from patients with sarcoidosis

The spontaneous production of interleukin-1 alpha and beta by alveolar cells obtained by BAL from 7 active pulmonary sarcoidosis and 5 normal volunteers was evaluated. The activity of disease in one case was considered to be highly active because of the chest X-ray pattern (diffuse micronodular shadows), highly intense Ga up take in lungs, increased number of BAL cells and high level of S-ACE. The contents of IL-1 alpha and beta were measured by ELISA in the culture supernatants of alveolar cells after 24 hours culture without any stimulus. Large amounts of IL-1 alpha and beta production were found in highly active case. No significant amount of IL-1 alpha and beta, however, was detected in 6 other active sarcoidosis cases and 5 normal volunteers. Therefore, spontaneous release of IL-1 alpha and beta in vitro from alveolar cells in sarcoidosis might be considered as an index for the necessity of systemic corticosteroid treatment and its relationship to the spontaneous remission of sarcoidosis in Japanese patients was discussed.