USEFULNESS OF INDUCED SPUTUM ANALYSIS IN PULMONARY-DISEASES

In this study, we analysed the cellular component of induced sputum in healthy control subjects (n=30), asthmatics (n=44), patients sufferin g from COPD (n=15), pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) (n=14) and healthy st eelworkers (HSW) (n=14). Sputum was induced by inhalation of hypertoni c saline (NaCl 5%) for 20 min. When compared to the healthy control gr oup, all the disease groups as well as the one of healthy steelworkers exhibited significantly higher total sputum cell counts. Analysis of the differential cell counts showed that there was a significant incre ase in % eosinophils in asthmatics, in % neutrophils in COPD, asthmati cs, tuberculosis and healthy steelworkers and in % lymphocytes in pulm onary tuberculosis. Our study illustrates the feasibility and the poss ible clinical application of induced sputum analysis in several pulmon ary diseases and shows how this technique could be useful in assessing airway inflammatory processes in subjects exposed to industrial pollu tants.