Sputum cytokine levels in patients undergoing hematopoietic SCT and comparison with healthy subjects and COPD: a pilot study.

Patients undergoing hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) display an airway neutrophilic inflammation before transplantation that persists over the years. In this study, we have investigated the cytokine profile over a period of 1 year in the sputum supernatant of patients who underwent HSCT. We have measured sputum supernatant levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17 and IFN-γ in 49 HSCT patients and compared the results with those found in 40 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 54 healthy subjects matched for age.

Distribution of sputum cellular phenotype in a large asthma cohort: predicting factors for eosinophilic vs neutrophilic inflammation.

Background: Phenotyping asthma according to airway inflammation allows identification of responders to targeted therapy. Induced sputum is technically demanding. We aimed to identify predictors of sputum inflammatory phenotypes according to easily available clinical characteristics.

Is FENO50 useful diagnostic tool in suspected asthma?

Background: Asthma diagnosis is based on the presence of symptoms and the demonstration of airflow variability. Airway inflammation measured by fractional exhaled nitric oxide, measured at a flow rate of 50 ml/s (FE(NO50)) remains a controversial diagnostic tool.

Aim: To assess the ability of FE(NO50) to identify bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine (provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV(1); PC20M ≤ 16 mg/ml) and to establish whether or not symptoms relate to FE(NO50) and PC20M in patients with no demonstrated reversibility to β(2) -agonist.

Disturbed cytokine production at the systemic level in difficult-to-control atopic asthma: evidence for raised interleukin-4 and decreased interferon-γ release following lipopolysaccharide stimulation.

Background: Disturbed cytokine production is thought to govern inflammation in asthma, which, in its turn, may lead to uncontrolled disease. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cytokine production from blood leucocytes and the level of asthma control.

Methods: We compared the production of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α from peripheral blood leucocytes in non-atopic healthy subjects (n = 22), atopic non-asthmatics (n = 10), well-controlled asthmatics [Juniper asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) score <1.

Local and systemic cellular inflammation and cytokine release in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammatory disease caused by repeated exposure to noxious gases or particles. It is now recognized that the disease also features systemic inflammation. The purpose of our study was to compare airway and systemic inflammation in COPD to that seen in healthy subjects and to relate the inflammation with the disease severity.

[Inertia and adherence as factors influencing asthma control].

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease which can be most often adequately controlled by current medications as demonstrated by multiple randomised clinical trials. Yet most of the recent surveys conducted in the real life setting point to an inadequate control in the majority of asthmatics. In addition to factors linked to the hygiene of life, clinician's inertia and patient's lack of adherence to the treatment certainly contribute to poor asthma control.

Exhaled nitric oxide thresholds associated with a sputum eosinophil count ≥3% in a cohort of unselected patients with asthma.

Background: It has been claimed that exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) could be regarded as a surrogate marker for sputum eosinophil count in patients with asthma. However, the FeNO threshold value that identifies a sputum eosinophil count ≥3% in an unselected population of patients with asthma has been poorly studied.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 295 patients with asthma aged 15–84 years recruited from the asthma clinic of University Hospital of Liege.

Association between asthma control and bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airways inflammation: a cross-sectional study in daily practice.

Background: The primary end-point in the management of asthma is to obtain optimal control. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the markers of airway inflammation (sputum eosinophilia and exhaled nitric oxide), bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and asthma control.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-four patients were recruited from our asthma clinic between January 2004 and September 2005 [mean age: 42 years, mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)): 86% predicted].

Leukotriene B4 contributes to exhaled breath condensate and sputum neutrophil chemotaxis in COPD.

Background: Neutrophils have been implicated in the pathogenesis of COPD. Several chemoattractants for neutrophils have been measured in samples of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and induced sputum (IS) from patients with COPD. The aims of this study were to compare EBC and IS supernatant neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA) from ex-smoking subjects with COPD and healthy ex-smokers, and to assess the contribution of leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) to this activity.

Granulocyte chemotactic activity in exhaled breath condensate of healthy subjects and patients with COPD.

Background: Several chemoattractants have been measured in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) from patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to compare the eosinophil and neutrophil chemotactic activity contained in EBC from healthy subjects and patients with COPD.

Methods: EBC collected using a commercially available condenser (EcoScreen; Erich Jaeger Viasys; Hoechberg, Germany) was compared in 45 COPD patients and 65 healthy subjects.

Cytokine production from sputum cells in eosinophilic versus non-eosinophilic asthmatics.

The inflammatory pathways involved in asthma are more complex than the sole Th2-mediated eosinophilic airway inflammation. Different phenotypes of asthma have been recently highlighted and are probably underlied by different immunological profiles. The aim of the study was to assess cytokine production from sputum cells in eosinophilic versus non-eosinophilic asthmatics.

Cysteinyl-leukotrienes contribute to sputum eosinophil chemotactic activity in asthmatics.

Background: Cysteinyl-leukotrienes are lipid derived mediators involved in asthma. They are able to stimulate eosinophil chemotaxis in vitro. Induced sputum from asthmatics has been shown to contain eosinophil chemotactic activity.

Cytokine production from sputum cells after allergenic challenge in IgE-mediated asthma.

Background: Th2 cytokine production from airway cells is thought to govern the eosinophilic airways inflammation in allergic asthma. Induced sputum has become a widely used technique to assess airways inflammation.

Methods: By applying the technique of induced sputum to collect airways cells, we have assessed the spontaneous production of a set of cytokines, including interleukin-4, 6, 10, interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, 6 h after a bronchial allergenic challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) in 12 sensitized asthmatics and compared the results obtained after inhalation of saline as control.

Sputum eosinophil count in a large population of patients with mild to moderate steroid-naive asthma: distribution and relationship with methacholine bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Background: Although airway eosinophilia is seen as a cardinal feature of asthma, data eosinophilia are still lacking on the proportion of the asthma group exhibiting raised airway eosinophilia. This study aimed to assess the distribution of sputum eosinophil count and its relationship with methacholine bronchial hyperresponsiveness in mild to moderate steroid-naive asthmatic people.

Methods: Sputum was induced by inhalation of hypertonic saline (NaCl 4.

Evidence of mast-cell activation in a subset of patients with eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Although asthma has been viewed mainly as an eosinophilic disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a neutrophilic disease, recent studies have shown increased neutrophil counts in severe asthma and sputum eosinophilia in some COPD patients. In an attempt to further characterise these two syndromes according to pathology, the current authors have conducted a study of induced sputum in 15 subjects with COPD, 17 asthmatics, and 17 nonatopic healthy individuals. Sputum was analysed for cytology and levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), albumin, tryptase and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

Effect of a 4-week treatment with theophylline on sputum eosinophilia and sputum eosinophil chemotactic activity in steroid-naive asthmatics.

Background: The precise mechanism of action of theophylline in asthma is not fully understood but recent data have drawn attention to its potential anti-inflammatory effect.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of theophylline on sputum eosinophilia and sputum eosinophil chemotactic activity in steroid-naive asthmatics.

Method: We performed a 4-week randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study in 21 mild to moderate steroid-naive asthmatics whose sputum eosinophilia was found twice > 5% during the run in period.

Airway mast-cell activation in asthmatics is associated with selective sputum eosinophilia.

Background: Tryptase is a serine endoprotease selectively released from mast cells. Although mast cells are known to be activated after experimental allergic provocation, their role in naturally occurring asthma is still debated.

Methods: We have investigated the levels of tryptase in the whole induced sputum collected from 51 asthmatics (31 atopic and 20 intrinsic) seen in our outpatient clinic and 22 normal nonatopic healthy volunteers.

Organ specificity of induction of activating and inactivating enzymes by cigarette smoke and cigarette smoke condensate.

Inhalation of cigarette smoke specifically induces the rat lung and kidney aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) in less than 4 h. The epoxide hydratase (EH) and the glutathione S-transferase are not significantly modified by a similar treatment in any of the rat tissues. Compared to the kidney AHH, the lung hydroxylase is 3--4 times more sensitive to small concentrations of cigarette smoke and seems to have a longer biological half-life.