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Updated: May 13, 2026

Methodology for Sputum Induction and Laboratory Processing
Published on: December 17, 2017
[Interest for evaluation of bronchial inflammation in asthma]
N Glas1, J-M Vergnon, Y Pacheco
1Service de Pneumologie et D'oncologie Thoracique, Hôpital Nord, CHU de Saint-Étienne, France. nathalie.glas@chu-st-etienne.fr
Abstract:
Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease. The respiratory functional tests are sometimes insufficient to confirm the diagnosis. Other tools are developed to estimate the bronchial inflammation such as tests of bronchial provocation, measure of exhaled nitric oxide, induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate. This review presents these non-invasive methods, approaches their interests on the identification of the disease and the treatment.
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