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Background: Systemic inflammation is associated with impaired lung function and inflammation is a part of Obstructive Airway Disease (OAD). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma are the two most common OAD. In view of this, the present study was done with the objective of determining the relationship between the various grades of severity of airway obstruction in COPD and asthma with blood leukocyte counts. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolling 40 COPD & 25 asthmatic patients of both sexes. Lung function was studied by computerized spirometer (Helios 402) and blood leukocyte counts (absolute neutrophil count, absolute eosinophil count, absolute basophil count, absolute lymphocyte count and absolute monocyte count) were determined by using suitable diluting fluids. Results: Grading of COPD and asthma severity was done according to GOLD and GINA guidelines respectively based on FEV 1 % predicted. With the increase in severity of airway obstruction, FEV1 was found to decline in both the groups. Out of 40 COPD patients, 12.5 % of patients had mild, 20% had moderate, 40% had severe and 27.5% had very severe COPD. Out of 25 asthma patients, 48% had mild, 32% had moderate and 20% had severe asthma. There was a significant increase in neutrophil count with the increase in COPD severity and with the increase in asthma severity, eosinophil count increases significantly.. Monocyte count was also increased with the decline in lung function in both the groups. Conclusion:Peripheral blood leukocyte counts are useful and can be used as an indirect & inexpensive marker of severity of functional lung impairment in OAD patients.

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