嗜酸粒细胞性支气管炎的气道炎症和临床特点

目的　探讨嗜酸粒细胞性支气管炎 (eosinophilicbronchitis,EB)的诊断、治疗及其气道炎症特点。方法　采用Irwin慢性咳嗽解剖学诊断程序 ,对 86例慢性咳嗽患者进行病因诊断 ;通过诱导痰 ,分析痰液中细胞分类 ,分别采用荧光酶免疫法、酶联免疫吸附法测定诱导痰上清液中嗜酸粒细胞阳离子蛋白 (ECP)、白细胞介素 8(IL 8)的浓度 ,并以 9例正常人和 9例典型哮喘患者作对照组 ;吸入布地奈德干粉剂 2 0 0～ 4 0 0 μg ,每天 2次 ,治疗 4周 ,部分患者同时口服泼尼松 10～ 15mg/d或甲泼尼龙 8～ 12mg/d ,1周。结果　本组有 13例符合EB诊断 ,占慢性咳嗽的 15 % ,多表现为慢性干咳 ,肺功能正常 ,组胺激发试验阴性。EB诱导痰嗜酸粒细胞 (Eos)为 0 186 2± 0 16 32 ,ECP浓度为(2 5 3± 2 0 7)mg/L ,均较正常人升高 (P <0 0 1) ;糖皮质激素治疗 1周后 ,13例患者的咳嗽均消失。结论　EB是引起慢性咳嗽的一个重要原因 ,气道具有以Eos为主的炎症 ,糖皮质激素治疗效果良好。

Clinical features and airway inflammation in eosinophilic bronchitis

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features and airway inflammation in eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) and the treatment outcomes. METHODS: Irwin's anatomic protocol for diagnosing chronic cough was used in 86 patients with chronic cough, and induced sputum by hypertonic saline aerosol inhalation was performed. Differential cell counts were performed in induced sputum, and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) was measured with fluoroimmunoassay, while interleukin-8 (IL-8) was measured with enzyme-linked absorbed immunoassay. EB was diagnosed according to Gibson's criteria and treated with inhaled budesonide 200 - 400 micro g twice daily for four weeks, and in some patients oral prednisone 10 - 15 mg/d or methyl-prednisone 8 - 12 mg/d was given for one week. RESULTS: 13 (15%) out of 86 patients with chronic cough were diagnosed as having EB. Dry cough was the major compliant and all had normal lung function with negative histamine provocation test. The Eos count was 0.1862 +/- 0.1632 and the concentration of ECP (2.53 +/- 2.07) mg/L in induced sputum were significant higher in patients with EB as compared with those normal subjects (P < 0.01). The cough disappeared in all patients at the end of one week of inhaled or orally administered corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: EB, an eosinophilic airway inflammation, is one of important causes of chronic cough and responds well to corticosteroid therapy.