We studied phenotypic specificity and flexibility of innate immunity cells, such as alveolar macrophages isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma (BA) and sarcoidosis which are lung diseases with inflammatory component. We found that M1 macrophages prevailed in COPD and sarcoidosis patients and M2 macrophages prevailed in BA patients though the macrophage populations were not monophenotypic. The

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... n of macrophage phenotypic flexibility in COPD, BA and sarcoidosis demonstrated that different phenotypic markers show different macrophage phenotypic flexibility in COPD, BA and sarcoidosis. This fact allows suggestion that phenotypic flexibility is specific to a certain parameter (receptor, structural or functional flexibility). The obtained data extend our knowledge on pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases and can be used to develop a new approach for management of these diseases.