Sputum cell counts in patients with COPD according to the presence or absence of emphysema on HRCT examination
| Emphysema(n = 10) | No emphysema(n = 15) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NS, not significantly different. | |||
| Data presented as median (interquartile range); comparisons made using Mann-Whitney U test. | |||
| Total non-squamous cells (×103/mg) | 24.4 (15.7–29.5) | 17.7 (12.9–25.5) | NS |
| Macrophages (×103 cells/mg) | 1.6 (0.9–2.4) | 2.7 (1.8–4.6) | 0.04 |
| Neutrophils (×103 cells/mg) | 21.2 (13.2–23.8) | 13.3 (9–21.1) | NS |
| Eosinophils (×103 cells/mg) | 0.8 (0.3–1.9) | 0.2 (0–0.6) | 0.02 |
| Lymphocytes (×103 cells/mg) | 0.1 (0–0.1) | 0 (0–0.1) | NS |