Charaterization of airway inflammation in stable bronchial asthma.
Vijayan, V.K.; Subramaniam, P.; Venkatesan, P.; Sankaran, K.; Gnanaguruparan, K.S.
Lung India; 1995; 13; 132-135.
Fifty stable mild bronchial asthma patients were studied to characterize the airway inflammation using the technique of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Eighteen normal non-smoking subjects were studied as control subjects. Total inflammatory cells (29.6±18.4 x 10 6 /dl vs 16.0±6.6 x 10 6 /dl, p < 0.001), absolute macrophages (24.5±15.9 x 10 6 /dl vs 13.3±5.5 x 10 6 /dl, p < 0.001), eosinophils (1.0±1.5 x 10 6 /dl vs 0.1±0.1 x 10 6 /dl, p < 0.001) and lymphocyte(3.8±4.2 x 10 6 /dl vs 2.4±1.5 x 10 6 /dl, p < 0.05) were significantly higher in BAL fluid from patients with bronchial asthma compared to normal control subjects. Abnormally elevated eosinophils (>4%) and lymphocytes (>28%) in BAL fluid were seen in 15 (30%) and 5 (10%) patients respectively. This study demonstrates that chronic lung inflammation characterised by abnormally elevated macrophages, eosinophils and lymphocytes persists even in patients with stable mild bronchial asthma, despite medication with oral beta stimulants or theophylline.
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