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. 2010 Mar-Apr;3(2):122–128. doi: 10.4161/oxim.3.2.6

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Increased B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) production in Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from active Behçet disease with pulmonary manifestations. Hatched line indicates the limit detection. (A) Measurement of BAFF in BAL fluids obtained was performed by using ELISA. The mean concentration of BAFF in active BD was increased (109.53 ± 21.78 pg/mL) when compared with BAFF values in healthy controls (4.83 ± 1.72 pg/mL). (B) BAFF concentration in BAL fluid was normalized to the concentration of albumin. BAFF concentration in BAL fluid of BD patients (314.49 ± 415 pg/mg albumin) was still significantly higher than in healthy controls (37.71 ± 88.40 pg/mg albumin; p = 0.0096); (B) suggesting that BAFF is produced locally in the lower airway of BD patients. These results do not totally eliminate the possibility that active transport contribute to the increased appearance of BAFF in BD-airways. Local production of BAFF might have either a protective or pathogenic role.