Bronchoalveolar lavage cellular composition in acute asthma and acute bronchiolitis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare cellular inflammation in the airways between acute bronchiolitis and asthma.


METHODS
Using a bronchoalveolar lavage with flexible bronchoscopy procedure, we investigated the cellular constituents of BAL fluid in children with acute exacerbation of asthma (n = 18) and infants with acute bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus (n = 20). These results were compared with those of healthy control subjects (n = 14).


RESULTS
Total lavage fluid recovered was similar in all groups. The total cell numbers were highest in the bronchiolitis group. The BAL cellular profile in the asthma group was characterized by a higher median (interquartile range) ratio of eosinophils (2.4% [1.6%-9.5%]; P <.01) than in the bronchiolitis group (0% [0%-0%]) or the control group (0% [0%-0%]). Neutrophil ratio was higher in the bronchiolitis group (40.0% [26.5%-50.0%]; P <.01), with no difference found between the asthma group (3.3% [2.0%-7.9%]) and the control group (2.0% [0.8%-5.5%]).


CONCLUSIONS
Asthma and acute bronchiolitis are characterized by an elevated cellular percentage of eosinophils and neutrophils, respectively, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
Kim
C K
CK
Department of Pediatrics, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chung
C Y
CY
Choi
S J
SJ
Kim
D K
DK
Park
Y
Y
Koh
Y Y
YY
D000208:Acute Disease; D001249:Asthma / Q000473:pathology*; D001988:Bronchiolitis / Q000473:pathology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils