Eosinophilic endotype of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: similarities and differences from asthma.

Approximately 25% to 40% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have the eosinophilic endotype. It is important to identify this group accurately because they are more symptomatic and are at increased risk for exacerbations and accelerated decline in forced expiratory volume in the 1st second. Importantly, this endotype is a marker of treat ment responsiveness to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), resulting in decreased mortality risk.

Blood eosinophil count correlates with severity of respiratory failure in life-threatening asthma and predicts risk of subsequent exacerbations.

Background: An elevated blood eosinophil count when asthma is stable predicts exacerbations and therapeutic response to corticosteroids or biologics targeting eosinophils. Few studies have examined the prognostic value of blood eosinophils measured at exacerbation.

Aim: To elucidate the relationship between a spot blood eosinophil count-measured at the onset of a life-threatening asthma exacerbation-with indices of exacerbation severity and risk of subsequent exacerbations.

Aberrant epithelial remodeling with impairment of cilia architecture in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

Background: Aberrant epithelial remodeling and/or abnormalities in mucociliary apparatus in airway epithelium contribute to infection and inflammation. It is uncertain if these changes occur in both large and small airways in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (non-CF bronchiectasis). In this study, we aim to investigate the histopathology and inflammatory profile in the epithelium of bronchi and bronchioles in bronchiectasis.

Sputum plug selection under inverted microscopy improves microbial identification during exacerbations of airway diseases.

Background: Salivary contamination decreases the yield of identifying potential airway bacterial and fungal pathogens in routine cultures of spontaneous or induced sputum during exacerbations of airway diseases. We investigated the utility of selecting out the squamous cells from sputum using inverted microscopy.

Methods: Sputum was obtained from fifty subjects, then divided to facilitate parallel processing of paired samples for gram-stain and semi-quantitative cultures, and quantitative cytometry.