Expression in induced sputum during acute exacerbations in asthmatic children with/without chronic airflow obstruction

Asthma exacerbations are associated with subsequent deficits in lung function. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a specific pattern of inflammatory responses during acute exacerbations may be associated with susceptibility to chronic airway obstruction. The study design consisted of 20 asthmatic children; 10 children had relatively low FEV1/FVC ratios at baseline, and 10 children had relatively high FEV1/FVC ratios at baseline.