A Comparative Study On The Clinical Significance Of Noninvasive Airway Inflammatory Markers In Asthmatic Patients

Objective To assess the value of noninvasive techniques for airway inflammation by measuring the inflammatory indices in induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate(EBC) from persistent asthmatic patients before and after combined therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β₂ agonists.Methods Moderate and severe asthmatic patients underwentcombined therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β₂ agonists (LABA) for a month. The symptom scores and forced expired volume in one second(FEV₁ predicted) were measured while the concentrations of H₂O₂, NO₃^-/NO₂^- , and cysteinyl-leukotriene E4(LTE4) in induced sputum and EBC were detected before and after therapy.Results A total of twenty-five subjects with moderate and severe asthma were enrolled among which three subjects failed in sputum induction due to chest tightness and dyspnea and two subjects failed in sampling qualified sputum. By combined therapy for one month the...