Asthma management by monitoring sputum neutrophil count

Shelley Pallan; James B Mahony; Paul M O'Byrne; Parameswaran Nair

doi:10.1378/chest.08-0400

Asthma management by monitoring sputum neutrophil count

Chest. 2008 Sep;134(3):628-630. doi: 10.1378/chest.08-0400.

Authors

Shelley Pallan¹, James B Mahony², Paul M O'Byrne¹, Parameswaran Nair³

Affiliations

¹ Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
² Department of Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
³ Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: parames@mcmaster.ca.

PMID: 18779198
DOI: 10.1378/chest.08-0400

Abstract

We report the utility of quantitative cell counts in sputum in monitoring therapy of a patient with poorly controlled asthma. Recurrent neutrophilic bronchitis without an eosinophilic bronchitis led to the identification of Chlamydophila pneumoniae as the cause of bronchitis and asthma exacerbation. Serial examination of blood and sputum by polymerase chain reaction for C pneumoniae helped to prevent exacerbations by prophylactic antibiotic therapy, reduce the dose of prednisone and inhaled corticosteroids, and improve asthma control.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
Asthma / drug therapy*
Asthma / microbiology
Asthma / pathology*
Bronchitis / diagnosis
Bronchitis / pathology
Chlamydophila Infections / complications
Chlamydophila Infections / diagnosis
Chlamydophila Infections / drug therapy
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Female
Humans
Lung / microbiology
Lung / pathology
Middle Aged
Neutrophils / pathology*
Recurrence
Sputum / cytology*

Substances

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Infective Agents