Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Determining Ciliary Function and Membrane Impermeability of the Pseudostratified Lung Airway Epithelium

Determining Ciliary Function and Membrane Impermeability of the Pseudostratified Lung Airway Epithelium

Published on: February 21, 2025

Hypersegmented airway neutrophils and its association with reduced lung function in adults with obstructive airway

Ravi Lokwani^1,2, Peter A B Wark^1,2,3, Katherine J Baines²

¹Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.

|January 31, 2019

Abstract

Objectives:

The significance of neutrophilic inflammation in obstructive airway disease remains controversial. Recent studies have demonstrated presence of an active neutrophil population in systemic circulation, featuring hypersegmented morphology, with high oxidative burst and functional plasticity in inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to characterise neutrophil subsets in bronchial lavage (BL) of obstructive airway disease participants (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis) and healthy controls on the basis of nuclear morphology and to assess the association between neutrophil subsets and the clinical parameters of the obstructive airway disease participants.

Design:

A cross-sectional exploratory study.

Setting:

John Hunter Hospital and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Australia.

Participants:

Seventy-eight adults with obstructive airway disease comprised those with stable asthma (n=39), COPD (n=20) and bronchiectasis (n=19) and 20 healthy controls.

Materials And Methods:

Cytospins were prepared and neutrophil subsets were classified based on nuclear morphology into hypersegmented (>4 lobes), normal (2-4 lobes) and banded (1 lobe) neutrophils and enumerated.

Results:

Neutrophils from each subset were identified in all participants. Numbers of hypersegmented neutrophils were elevated in participants with airway disease compared with healthy controls (p<0.001). Both the number and the proportion of hypersegmented neutrophils were highest in COPD participants (median (Q1-Q3) of 1073.6 (258.8-2742) × 10²/mL and 24.5 (14.0-46.5)%, respectively). An increased proportion of hypersegmented neutrophils in airway disease participants was significantly associated with lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity per cent (Spearman's r=-0.322, p=0.004).

Conclusion:

Neutrophil heterogeneity is common in BL and is associated with more severe airflow obstruction in adults with airway disease. Further work is required to elucidate the functional consequences of hypersegmented neutrophils in the pathogenesis of disease.

Keywords:

bronchoscopy chronic airways disease immunology

More Related Videos

Label-free Neutrophil Enrichment from Patient-derived Airway Secretion Using Closed-loop Inertial Microfluidics

Label-free Neutrophil Enrichment from Patient-derived Airway Secretion Using Closed-loop Inertial Microfluidics

Published on: June 7, 2018

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Key Factors of Obliterative Bronchiolitis After Lung Transplantation

Author Spotlight: Investigating the Key Factors of Obliterative Bronchiolitis After Lung Transplantation

Published on: November 10, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway

Suctioning the Nasopharyngeal Airway

Nasopharyngeal suctioning is a procedure to remove secretions from the upper part of the respiratory tract that the patient cannot clear independently. It helps maintain airway patency and prevents complications such as aspiration pneumonia.
Equipment Required

Suctioning the Oropharyngeal Airway

Suctioning the Oropharyngeal Airway

In preparing for oropharyngeal airway suctioning, a nurse must gather all necessary equipment, including a suction unit with tubing, a prepackaged suction kit, sterile gloves, water or saline for irrigation, a water-soluble lubricant, and additional personal protective equipment (such as a gown, mask, and goggles) to control infections.
After assembling the equipment, the nurse should practice hand hygiene and don appropriate PPE according to infection control guidelines to avoid the...

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management

Airway management is a key skill in emergency and critical care settings, as maintaining a clear airway is essential for adequate oxygenation and ventilation.Head Tilt-Chin Lift TechniqueThe head tilt-chin lift maneuver is an essential technique primarily used in patients without suspected cervical spine injuries. To perform this maneuver, one hand is placed on the patient’s forehead, and gentle pressure is applied backward to tilt the head. The fingertips of the other hand are positioned...

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation V: Advanced Airway Management Techniques

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation V: Advanced Airway Management Techniques

Airway management is essential in emergency and surgical medicine, ensuring ventilation and oxygenation in patients who cannot maintain their own airway. Clinicians use a range of techniques and devices to secure the airway, depending on the patient’s condition and the clinical context. Key methods include endotracheal intubation, rapid sequence intubation (RSI), supraglottic airway devices, and advanced visualization aids. In cases where these approaches fail, surgical airway...

Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles

Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles

A thorough assessment of respiratory health is paramount in clinical settings to identify and manage respiratory distress and ensure adequate oxygenation. This article elaborates on the critical aspects of respiratory evaluation, including airway assessment, skin color examination, and the observation of accessory muscle use, which are integral to effectively diagnosing and managing patients with respiratory conditions.
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies

Assessing and diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) involves a detailed approach that includes a comprehensive review of medical history, physical examination, and a variety of diagnostic tests. This thorough evaluation is essential to ensure an accurate diagnosis and guide effective management strategies.
Medical History

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Regional cerebral arterial elasticity is associated with cardiovascular health in cognitively healthy older adults.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Repeated influenza vaccination results in blunting rather than back-boosting of antibody responses against A(H3N2) antigens.

Research square·2026

Asthmatics With Increased Triglyceride-Glucose Index Are at Elevated Risk of Exacerbations Independent of Type 2 Inflammation: A Prospective Cohort study.

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice·2026

Autoantibodies in chronic non-infectious respiratory diseases: a scoping review.

Frontiers in immunology·2026

Sustained clinical remission and relapse of severe eosinophilic asthma following long-term mepolizumab treatment.

Allergology international : official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology·2026

Bayesian adaptive designs for the optimisation of implementation strategies: a virtual re-execution of the Physically Active Children in Education (PACE) trials.

Implementation science communications·2026

See all related articles