title: [Eosinophil count in asthma. A marker of disease activity in intrinsic and extrinsic asthma].
abstract: The relationship between eosinophil count and pulmonary function (FEV1), respiratory symptoms, bronchial responsiveness to histamine and diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) was studied in a group of asthmatics (n = 70) examined in childhood (mean age 10 yrs) and early adulthood (mean age 21 yrs), of whom 24 had intrinsic and 46 extrinsic asthma. Self-reported symptoms of asthma were graded on a scale from zero to five; histamine responsiveness was analysed by means of the dose-response slope (DRS). In both childhood and adulthood, a direct correlation was found between blood eosinophil count and symptom score (r = 0.69, p < 0.001 and r = 0.58, p < 0.001, respectively), whereas inverse correlations were observed between number of eosinophils and FEV1 expressed as percentage of predicted values (r = -0.75, p < 0.001 and r = -0.80, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, in adulthood, eosinophil count was found to be significantly correlated to histamine responsiveness (logDRS) (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) and diurnal PEF variation (r = 0.81, p < 0.001); these correlations were also noted after dividing the subjects into intrinsic and extrinsic asthmatics. The findings in the present study suggest that the peripheral eosinophil count reflects asthmatic activity, and possibly the degree of inflammation in the airways, in both children and young adults.
authors.affiliation: Medicinsk afdeling B, Rigshospitalet, København.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ulrik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis
vernacular_title: Eosinofiltal ved astma. Markør for sygdomsaktivitet hos patienter med henholdsvis intrinsic og extrinsic astma.