Y. Tanizaki et al., EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM GLUCOCORTICOID THERAPY ON BRONCHOALVEOLAR CELLS IN ADULT PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA, The Journal of asthma, 30(4), 1993, pp. 309-318
The effects of long-term glucocorticoid therapy on airway inflammation
were examined in 84 asthma patients. The proportion of lymphocytes in
bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly decreased in pat
ients with steroid-dependent intractable asthma (SDIA) compared to res
ults in non-SDIA patients, while BAL neutrophils were significantly in
creased in SDIA patients compared to results in non-SDIA patients. Reg
arding age, in patients under the age of 69 (except those between 30 a
nd 39), BAL lymphocyte number was significantly decreased in SDIA comp
ared with non-SDIA subjects, and in patients between 50 and 69, BAL ne
utrophils were significantly increased in SDIA compared with non-SDIA
subjects. The number of BAL lymphocytes was significantly lower in pat
ients with serum cortisol levels of less than 5.0 mug/dl than in those
with levels of more than 5.1 mug/dl. BAL lymphocyte number was also s
ignificantly lower in patients who had received glucocorticoid therapy
for more than 6 years than in those who had received such therapy for
2 years. These results show that long-term glucocorticoid therapy dec
reases the number of lymphocytes and increases neutrophil numbers in t
he airways.