The Effect of Corticosteroid Therapy on Blood Eosinophils and Eosinophilic Cationic Protein in Patients with Acute and Chronic Asthma

Abstract

There is evidence that eosinophils are involved in inflammation in asthma, a correlation having been observed between blood eosinophil (B-EOS) count and pulmonary function. It has been suggested that eosinophils, and its product, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), can serve as markers of disease activity. This paper examines this hypothesis. B-EOS count, serum ECP level, and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were estimated in two groups of asthmatics and controls at three visits in 4 weeks. The mean B-EOS count in acute and stable asthmatic groups was higher than in controls at presentation; the difference was statistically significant (p<0.02). Similarly, mean ECP was higher in the two groups than in controls, but with no statistically significant difference. The B-EOS count and serum ECP level within the groups fell between week 0 and week 4 because of treatment. There was positive correlation between ECP and PEF and also between B-EOS and ECP and PEF. The findings reveal that blood eosinophils reflect some degree of activity in asthmatic patients in the acute and chronic state.

Disconnect of type 2 biomarkers in severe asthma; dominated by FeNO as a predictor of exacerbations and periostin as predictor of reduced lung function

“…This could again have influenced our observations. Finally, the high proportion of patients on maintenance OCS could have weakened the PBE or periostin signals in this study, as was previously reported [48]. However, this effect would also carry the advantage of providing a real life view of these biomarkers as it would be seen in any severe asthma clinic.…”

Can we predict sputum eosinophilia from clinical assessment in patients referred to an adult asthma clinic?

“…Another showed peripheral blood eosinophil count to correlate with bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophil count . The level of peripheral blood eosinophil is also reduced by ICS in both acute and chronic asthma patients . A recent randomised controlled study examining the effects of inhaled anti‐inflammatory therapies on sputum eosinophil, blood eosinophil and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), an eosinophil by product that is released by activated eosinophils, noted a significant correlation between blood and sputum eosinophils .…”

Serum Eosinophil Cationic Protein and 27 Cytokines/Chemokines in Acute Exacerbation of Childhood Asthma

“…In this study, treatment comprising systemic corticosteroids resulted in decreases in serum levels of ECP, IL-5, IL-6, IL-1ra and IP-10, but not IL-8, IL-10, G-CSF and MCP-1. In previous studies, systemic corticosteroid treatment of children with asthma significantly reduced serum concentrations of ECP [24,25,26], IL-5 [26] and IP-10 [12]. Furthermore, systemic corticosteroids significantly reduced both IL-5 gene expression and serum levels of ECP in acute compared with stable asthma [27].…”