• Louis-Philippe Boulet, Philippe Prince, Catherine Lemière, Marie-Hélène Dufour, and Simone Chaboillez.
• Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, Quebec City, Canada.
• Chest. 2012 Jun 1;141(6):1522-7.

BackgroundAirway inflammatory responses to specific inhalation challenges (SICs) with low-molecular-weight (LMW) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) agents have not been studied thoroughly. We assessed the changes in airway inflammatory cells following SIC in sensitized workers, and looked at the influence of various factors on the pattern of inflammatory responses to SIC.MethodsInduced sputum analysis was performed in workers sensitized to LMW (n = 41) or HMW agents (n = 41) after a control day and after a positive SIC. Cell counts were compared with lung function and various clinical parameters.ResultsIn the LMW group, eosinophils were increased following late asthmatic responses (median [interquartile range], 0.02 [0.04] × 10(6) cells/g vs 0.30 [0.80] × 10(6) cells/g and 1.0% [3.5] vs 8.9% [8.0], P < .05), as were neutrophil numbers (0.8 [1.3] × 10(6) cells/g vs 2.3 [5.4] × 10(6) cells/g, P = .04). In the HMW group, eosinophil percentages increased both after early (1.0% [2.2] vs 5.5% [14.5], P = .003) and dual asthmatic responses (4.5% [3.7] vs 15.0% [13.7], P = .02). In the LMW group, the increases in neutrophils were higher in current smokers than in ex-smokers or nonsmokers. The length of exposure to the agent, tobacco use, and baseline percentage of eosinophils were independent predictors of the change in eosinophils, whereas age and baseline neutrophil percentage were predictors of the change in neutrophils.ConclusionsThis study confirms that eosinophils and neutrophils are increased after SIC, whatever the causal agent. The type of agent is not predictive of the inflammatory response to SIC. Smoking is associated with a more neutrophilic response after SIC with an LMW agent.

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