COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF AIRWAY CELLULAR INFLAMMATION IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IN RESPONSE TO HYPOSMOLAR AND COLD STIMULES

An approach is presented to the study of cellular inflammation using cytological analysis of sputum in patients with bronchial asthma with different types of airway reaction to bronchoprovocation with cold air and distilled water. When the airways are hyperresponsive to hypoosmolar and cold stimuli, it has been established the activation of the neutrophilic component of bronchial granulocytes. Cold airway hyperresponsiveness is associated with an increase in neutrophil content and a concomitant decrease in the number of macrophages in the inflammatory pattern of the bronchi. An increase in sputum cytosis is inherent in a positive airway response to a hypoosmolar test with an unexpressed dynamics of the level of bronchial eosinophils.