Allergy.  1995 Mar;15(1):36-50.

Significance of sputum eosinophils in bronchial asthmatics

• Hong CS
• Park JW
• Kim PS
• Kim CW
• Chong SY
• Nahm DH

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of bronchial tree, consisting of eosinophil and mast cell infiltration, epithelial damage and mucus plugging. Blood eosinophilia is a frequent finding in asthmatics and sputum eosinophilia is a consistent finding related with active airway inflammation in bronchial asthma. We performed this study to investigate the clinical significances of eosinophils in spontaneously expectorated sputum in 108 asthmatic patients. The results were as follows: 1) Of the 108 cases, 104cases(96.3%) of spontaneously expectorated sputum were acceptable to quantitative examination of sputum eosinophils. 2) Sputum eosinophils were significantly higher in moderate symptom group(33.8+/-29.6%) than in mild symptom group (18.7 +/-24.0 % ). Peripheral blood eosinophil counts were significantly higher in moderate symptom group (580.7+/-427.4/mm3) than in mild symptom group (304.5+/-277. 1/mm3). 3) Sputum eosinophils were more than 10% in 34.9%(22/63 cases) of mild asthmatic patients with no oral corticosteroid medications. 4) There was no significant correlation between sputum eosinophil counts, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and peak expiratory flow rates. In conclusion, quantitative examination of sputum eosinophils might reflect eosinophilic infiltration of bronchial tree. Sputum eosinophil counts, together with peripheral blood eosinophil counts, may be correlated with the severity of asthma and might be used as a useful guideline in the planning of the treatment of the bronchial asthma patients.

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Eosinophilia
Eosinophils*
Humans
Inflammation
Mast Cells
Mucus
Sputum*