SPUTUM CELL DIFFERENCE IN THE COURSE OF
ASTHMA IN CHILDREN
Zhao SY, Ren YX, Liu SHY, Jiang
ZF
Beijing
Children's Hospital, Beijing, China
Objective: To investigate sputum
cell change in different phase of asthma in children
Methods: Sputum was obtained from
25 asthmatic children within 1-3d, 5-7d, 15-20d after acute exacerbation
using ultrasonically nebulized hypertonic saline or spontaneous
expectoration. Sputum was induced in 20 health children as control. Sputum
was processed and cytospin was examination for a differential cell count
with Wright's stain.
Results: Sputum cell changed in
different phase of asthma in children as followed: in initial stage (1-3d),
sputum epithelial cell increased dramatically (70.24¡À20.65 Vs 3.50¡À1.20[control]).
As symptom improved (5-7d), sputum epithelial cell decreased rapidly
(15.04¡À9.30 Vs 70.24¡À20.65). But sputum eosinophil and/or neutrophil
elevated (60.56¡À23.45 Vs 2.5¡À1.8[control]. 70¡À20.89 Vs 30¡À12.45[control]
respectively), neutrophilia occurred in 13 asthmatic children, eosinophilia
in 9, and combined eosinophilia/ neutrophia in 3. In stable stage (15-20d),
the number of sputum epithelial cell was similar to that of control, and
sputum eosinophil. And /or neutrophil deceased (15.40¡À7.09Vs.60.56¡À23.45,
20.00¡À13.4 Vs 70¡À20.89 respectively), but sputum lymphocyte increased
(28.89¡À18.67 Vs3.56¡À2.45 [control]).
Conclusion:
Sputum
cell changed in different phase of asthma in children. It implied different
cell may play a role in different phase of asthma. Eosinophil may not have
function in all children with asthma. Neutrophil was associated with airway
inflammation in some children with asthma Contrary to common senses, we
found that epithelial cell desquamated before the appearance of eosinophil
and neutrophil, indicating eosinophil and neutrophil may have other
function in child asthma in addition to their damage to epithelial cell.