DataSheet_1_Eosinophil Progenitors in Patients With Non-Asthmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis, Eosinophilic Asthma, and Normal Controls.docx

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the potential of in situ airway differentiation of eosinophil progenitors (EoPs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in sputum and peripheral blood from patients with non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB), eosinophilic asthma (EA), and healthy controls (HC).
MethodsUsing flow cytometry, we enumerated sputum and blood HPCs and EoPs in patients with NAEB (n=15), EA (n=15), and HC (n=14) at baseline. Patients with NAEB and EA were then treated for 1 month with budesonide (200 μg, bid) or budesonide and formoterol (200/6 μg, bid), respectively. HPCs and EoPs in both compartments were re-evaluated.
ResultsAt baseline, NAEB and EA both had significantly greater numbers of sputum but not blood HPCs and EoPs (p<0.05) compared to HC. There were no differences between NAEB and EA. After 1 month of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment, NAEB patients showed a significant improvement in cough symptoms, but the attenuation of sputum HPC and EoP levels was not significant.
ConclusionsNAEB patients have increased airway levels of HPCs and EoPs. One-month treatment with ICS did not fully suppress the level of EoPs in NAEB. Controlling in situ airway differentiation of EoPs may control airway eosinophilia and provide long-term resolution of symptoms in NAEB.

研究目标：本研究旨在探究非哮喘性嗜酸性粒细胞性支气管炎（non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, NAEB）、嗜酸性哮喘（eosinophilic asthma, EA）患者及健康对照（healthy controls, HC）的痰液与外周血中，嗜酸性粒细胞祖细胞（eosinophil progenitors, EoPs）与造血祖细胞（hematopoietic progenitor cells, HPCs）的原位气道分化潜能。

研究方法：本研究采用流式细胞术，在基线状态下对15例NAEB患者、15例EA患者及14例健康对照的痰液与血液中的HPCs和EoPs进行计数。随后，NAEB患者与EA患者分别接受布地奈德（200 μg，每日2次）或布地奈德福莫特罗（200/6 μg，每日2次）治疗1个月，并再次对两个样本来源（痰液与血液）中的HPCs与EoPs水平进行评估。

研究结果：基线时，与健康对照相比，NAEB与EA患者的痰液中HPCs和EoPs数量均显著更高（p<0.05），但血液中二者无此差异；且NAEB与EA患者之间无显著统计学差异。接受1个月吸入性糖皮质激素（inhaled corticosteroid, ICS）治疗后，NAEB患者的咳嗽症状得到显著改善，但痰液中HPCs与EoPs水平的降低并不显著。

研究结论：NAEB患者的气道HPCs与EoPs水平升高。为期1个月的ICS治疗未能完全抑制NAEB患者体内的EoPs水平。调控EoPs的原位气道分化或可控制气道嗜酸性粒细胞增多，并实现NAEB患者症状的长期缓解。