The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology
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J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. · Apr 1997
Comparative StudyMeasuring airway inflammation in asthma: eosinophils and eosinophilic cationic protein in induced sputum compared with peripheral blood.
Airway eosinophilic inflammation is a characteristic feature of asthma. This can be assessed directly by measurement of eosinophils and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) in sputum or indirectly by measurement of the same markers in blood. We investigated the performance of these markers of airway eosinophilic inflammation in a population of patients with asthma compared with control subjects and the extent to which the markers differed. ⋯ We conclude that the proportion of eosinophils in sputum is a more accurate marker of asthmatic airway inflammation than the proportions of blood eosinophils or serum ECP.