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APPLICATION OF INDUCED SPUTUM ANALYSIS IN ASTHMATIC CHILDREN

Hong JG, Cheng GQ, Wang NL, et al

Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai, China

Objective: To investigate the safety of induced sputum procedure in varied severity of asthmatic children and evaluate the clinical significance of inflammatory factors in induced sputum.

Methods: 46 asthmatic children with varied severity and 16 health controls were studied. Sputum was induced through inhalation of an aerosol of 3�� hypertonic saline by an ultrasonic nebulizer. The sputum NO₃^-/NO₂^-, ECP and IL-8 were measured through nitratase reduction, fluoro- immuno assay and ELISA, respectively.

Results: During the whole inducing time, lung function parameters did not change significantly. The mean levels of sputum NO3-/NO3- in three asthmatic groups (stable, mild and moderate-severe) were 72.23, 110.93 and 135.57mol/L, respectively, witch were higher than that of control (44.87��mol/L), P<0.05. It was higher in mild and moderate-severe groups than in stable children, (P<0.05). The mean levels of sputum ECP in three asthmatic groups(48.75, 89.55 and 152.7��g/L, respectively ) were higher than that of control (16.45��g/L), P<0.05. The levels of NO3-/NO2- in asthmatic children were significantly correlated with baseline FEV1.0% negatively (P<0.05). The levels of ECP were significantly correlated with baseline FEV1.0% negatively, positively correlated with the levels of NO₃^-/NO₂^- , P<0.05. IL-8 can be detected in induced sputum. It negatively correlated with baseline FEV1.0%, positively correlated with the NO₃^-/NO₂^-levels. In control and three asthmatic groups, the mean levels of IL-8 were 59, 94, 199 and 290pg/ml, respectively.

Conclusion: The use of induced sputum procedure in asthmatic children with varied severity is safe. It can be used as a way to assess the severity and inflammatory status of asthma.