Background: Airway inflammation is considered to be important in asthma but is relatively inaccessible to study. Less invasive methods of obtaining sputum from patients unable to produce it spontaneously should provide a useful investigational tool in asthma.Objective: To evaluate the value of eosinophil count in induced sputum and blood count of asthmatic patients and normal subjects.Specific Objectives: (I) to determine the influence of asthma exacerbation with sputum and peripheral eosinophilia, and (2) to determine differences in peripheral and sputum eosinophil count between normal and asthmatic subjects.Study Design : Prospective-Cohort StudySetting: The study was conducted at the Iloilo Mission Hospital, a tertiary private hospital in Iloilo City, Philippines.Methodology: Twenty eight subjects were included in the study. Fifteen asthmatic patients underwent pulmonary function test, sputum induction and blood sampling. Thirteen normal subjects were evaluated using sputum induction and blood sampling.Results: Sputum and peripheral eosinophilia between asthmatic patients with and without chest findings of rales and wheeze do not significantly differ. The significant and positive correlation between forced vital capacity and peripheral eosinophilia may suggest other inflammation or conditions related to asthma such as allergy. Post bronchodilator FEV, significantly and negatively correlated with sputum eosinophilia. Comparison between eosinophilia markers in induced sputum and blood in asthmatic patients and normal subjects revealed that asthmatic tend to have relatively higher and significant sputum eosinophilia than normal subjects.Conclusions: FEVj and forced vital capacity were found to correlate with bronchial inflammation. Sputum eosinophilia were relatively higher among asthmatic patients than normal subjects. Hence, induced sputum could be used as a marker for airway inflammation.
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