Local host response in the lower respiratory tract in nephropathia epidemica
Various lines of evidence suggest a respiratory route of transmission of nephropathia epidemica (NE). To study the response of the respiratory tract in NE, fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 5 patients in the acute phase of the disease. Compared to a reference group of 15 healthy individuals, BAL fluid of NE patients contained significantly higher total numb