Background Although neutrophils have been implicated in bronchial asthma, the mechanism(s) which bring these cells into the airways is poorly understood.

Objective To investigate the presence and identity of neutrophil chemotactic factors in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from atopic asthmatic subjects.

Method BAL fluid was obtained from 13 subjects (seven asthmatics and six normals). aged 19 to 60 yr, at bronchoscopy. Separation of neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) was achieved by FPLC cation exchange chromatography. Fractions were collected and assayed for chemotaxis multiwell micro‐chemotaxes chambers using polycarbonate filters, for the complement peptide C5a/C5a des Arg by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and for interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) by ELISA.

Results NCA was found in FPLC fractions of BAL samples in four out of seven asthmatics and each of these subjects had at least three similar peaks of NCA. The major peak of NCA was found to contain immunoreactive C5a/C5a des Arg and chemotaxis. In response to this NCA could be blocked by desensitization of the neutrophils with recombinant C5a. Purified serum derived C5a/C5a des Arg was found to have altered chromatographic properties when added to BAL fluid; this suggested that BAL fluid contained proteins which interacted with the C5a/C5a des Arg. Immunoreactive IL‐8 (iIL‐8) was also detected but its concentration or chemical form was insufficient to induce neutropbil chemotaxis.

Conclusion This study demonstrates that bronchial asthmatic lavage fluid contains C5a/C5a des/Arg and iL‐8, together with other as yet unidentified factors which may contribute to neutropbil recruitment in this disease.