COMPARISON OF SPUTUM AND SERUM EOSINOPHIL CATIONIC PROTEIN (ECP) LEVELS IN NONATOPIC ASTHMA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether sputum eosinop hil cationic protein (ECP) concentrations could be a useful marker in the differentia I diagnosis between intrinsic asthma and chronic obstr uctive pulmonary disease (COPD). For this purpose total blood eosinoph il counts were obtained and concentrations of serum and sputum ECP fro m 10 nonatopic asthmatics with a mild attack and 9 COPD patients with acute exacerbation were measured by radioimmunoassay. Mean serum ECP c oncentration was 54.3 +/- 23.0 mu g/L in the asthmatic group and 83.3 +/- 79.2 mu g/L in the COPD group (p: n.s.). In the group of asthmatic s mean sputum ECP level was 984.5 +/- 1245.5 mu g/L/g sputum and in th e COPD group it was 417.5 +/- 363.5 mu g/L/g sputum. There was no sign ificant difference in sputum ECP levels between patients with asthma a nd COPD. We conclude that neither sputum nor serum ECP levels are usef ul markers in differential diagnosis of asthma attack and acute exacer bation of COPD.