title: Sputum neutrophilia in severe persistent asthmatics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of sputum neutrophilia in patients with severe persistent bronchial asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from November 2009 to November 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases of severe persistent bronchial asthma, aged between 12 and 40 years, were included. Sputum samples were collected by induction with hypertonic saline (4.5%). All samples were centrifuged and differential neutrophil count was calculated. Data was analyzed using SPSS 11.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 195 patients, there were 129 (66.2%) males and 66 (33.8%) females. The mean age was 27.01 ± 6.92 years. Mean sputum neutrophilic count was 126.47 ± 16.52 x 106/ml and the mean neutrophilic percentage was 63.187 ± 8.3363. Sputum neutrophilia was present in 84 patients (43.1%), out of whom, 56 were males and 28 females. In patients with sputum neutrophilia, mean neutrophilic count was 142.40 ± 8.49 x 106/ml and the mean neutrophilic percentage was 71.2024 ± 4.2441%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sputum neutrophilia is a frequent finding in cases with severe persistent bronchial asthma. Presence of sputum neutrophilia in such cases can lessen the inappropriate use of corticosteroids with their associated long-term side effects.
authors: Department of Pulmonology, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
authors: Arshad
authors: A
authors: Naseem
authors: Department of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
authors: Jahanzeb
authors: J
authors: Liaqat
authors: Department of Pulmonology, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
authors: S B H
authors: SB
authors: Zaidi
authors: Department of Medicine, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
authors: Raheel
authors: R
authors: Iftikhar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology