[Usefulness of the eosinophil count in induced sputum of asthmatic patients]

Chronic mucosal inflammation is referred to as the primary cause of asthma. Treatment in the first place aims to prevent and reverse the above disease. It is possible to measure the inflammation relatively noninvasively and reliably by making use of induced sputum cell counts. The differential cell count points to the existence and sort of the inflammation (eosinophilic or neutrophilic) and the total cell count--to the intensity. Sputum eosinophilia responds to treatment with corticosteroid, while there is increasing evidence that an isolated neutrophilia does not. Clinical judgement of airway inflammation is further complicated due to the various types of inflammation and their inconsistent correlation with the clinical features. Hence, reliable measurement of induced sputum cell counts may be useful to guide treatment in clinical practice. Therefore, it should be considered how to make it more available.