Comparison of cell counts, cell viability, and interleukin 8 levels in spontaneous and induced sputum samples (n = 27)
| Median (interquartile range) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Spontaneous sputum | Induced sputum at 7 minutes | Induced sputum at 14 minutes | |
| Total counts × 106 cells/g sputum | 3.43 (1.66–7.17) | 1.91 (0.76–5.15) | 2.10 (1.31–5.91) |
| Neutrophils (%) | 88.0 (72.5–89.5) | 88.8 (70.0–93.5) | 81.3 (77.8–91.8) |
| Macrophages (%) | 11.0 (6.3–23.5) | 10.3 (4.8–22.5) | 9.0 (6.5–18.3) |
| Lymphocytes (%) | 1.5 (0.8–3.8) | 2.0 (0.5–5.3) | 2.0 (1.0–2.5) |
| Eosinophils (%) | 0.3 (0.3–0.5) | 0.3 (0.0–1.3) | 0.5 (0.0–0.8) |
| Cell viability (%) | 41.2 (11.7–71.8) | 62.8 (35.5–76.5)2-150 | 65.0 (54–76.2)2-150 |
| Interleukin 8 (pg/ml) | 5475 (1265–9083) | 4288 (2653–6282) | 3847 (747–8539) |
↵2-150 p = 0.001 compared with spontaneous sputum sample.