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To evaluate the significance of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), gamma-interferon, interleukin 2, and soluble IL-2 receptor in early detection of canine lung allograft rejection, bronchoalveolar lavages were performed serially in mongrel dogs before and after single lung transplantation. The dogs were divided into three groups. Group 1 (control group) consisted of one in which neither donor nor recipient dogs were treated with cyclosporine. In group 2 (CsA-pretreated group) only donors were treated with CsA orally at a single dose of 20 mg/kg/day for 3 days prior to single lung transplantation. In group 3 only recipients were treated with CsA orally at a single dose of 20 mg/kg/day for a short period of 9 days after single-lung transplantation. Marked elevation was found of TNF, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-2R in BALF obtained from the grafted lungs in group 1 and group 2 dogs. The levels of these markers were significantly higher than those obtained from the normal, native lungs (P less than 0.05). Two of three recipients in group 2 had pneumonia in the native lungs on day 10 after single-lung transplantation. All markers except IFN-gamma in BALF obtained from the infected native lungs were also increased, but the titers were less than those obtained from the grafted lungs at the same time. There were significantly higher levels of TNF, IL-2, and IL-2R present in the BALF of grafted lungs of dogs in group 1 than group 2 (P less than 0.05). In group 3, BALF levels of these markers from the grafted lungs were not significantly different from those of the normal and native lungs during the period of CsA treatment after single-lung transplantation. On various days after discontinuation of CsA treatment, BALF levels of all markers began to rise. Abnormal levels of BALF markers obtained from the grafted lungs heralded the appearance of abnormalities detected by chest x-ray films. Our study suggests that serially measuring BALF levels of TNF, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-2R may serve as a useful means in monitoring the immunologic status of canine lung allografts and in the early detection of lung allograft rejection. The role of BALF IFN-gamma in distinguishing lung allograft rejection from pulmonary infection needs further studies.