• Osama Eltboli and Christopher E Brightling.
• Department of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, Institute of Lung Health, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK.
• Expert Rev Respir Med. 2013 Feb 1; 7 (1): 33-42.

AbstractChronic lung diseases are very common and form a major threat to large proportions of the population with increased morbidity and mortality. Asthma is one of the most common eosinophilic airway diseases. However, there is growing evidence that eosinophilic inflammation is also important in subgroups of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic cough and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Several studies have shown that sputum eosinophilia is associated with a favorable response to treatment of corticosteroids in both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tailored strategies aimed to normalize sputum eosinophils have resulted in a significant reduction in exacerbation rates. In this article, the authors review the role of eosinophilic inflammation in the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory diseases.

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