The CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) binds the chemokine ligands RANTES (CCL5) and MIP-1alpha (CCL3), which have been implicated in the development of alveolitis in sarcoidosis.
We investigated the release of TNF-alpha, IL-8, MIP-1 alpha by cultured bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) immune cells of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, n = 24), sarcoidosis (SAR, n = 24), and controls (n = 20) by ELISA.