Eosinophilic Group Research Articles

The causes of a peripheral blood eosinophilia in a secondary care setting.

A peripheral blood eosinophilia of greater than 1.0×109 /L is relatively unusual and offers a clue to the underlying diagnosis. In 2003, we established a specialist service to diagnose unexplained eosinophilia. To describe the causes of an eosinophilia in our service and the diagnostic algorithm we developed. Subjects were referred by physician colleagues across a range of specialties and undertook standard investigations following a semi-structured protocol. Data were extracted from a bespoke database. Three hundred and eighty two subjects were referred over a 17-year period. Average age was 54years and 183 (48%) of subjects were female, with 21 of 25 (84%) females in the idiopathic eosinophilic pneumonia group (p<0001), 22 of 30 (73%) females in the gastrointestinal disease group (p<.008), but 11 of 37 (30%) females in the eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis group (p<.04). A diagnosis was assigned after systematic evaluation using a pre-defined algorithm in 361 (94.5%) of cases. Fungal allergy (82 subjects: 21%), parasitic infection (61 subjects: 16%) and severe eosinophilic asthma (50 subjects: 13%) were the three commonest individual diagnoses. Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) disease including eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) accounted for 85 subjects (20%) of which seven subjects (2%) had myeloproliferative disease (M-HES). A high IgE was common, and 79 (91%) of subjects with complete data who had an IgE of ≥1000IU/L had fungal allergy or parasite infection. The serum tryptase was raised in 44 of 302 (14.5%) of individuals across all diagnostic groups, though none had mastocytosis. A diagnosis of an unexplained eosinophilia can usually be determined using as semi-structured algorithm. Parasitic infection and fungal allergy often with severe eosinophilic asthma were common causes, whereas HES, particularly myeloproliferative, disease was relatively rare.

Tissue eosinophil levels as a marker of disease severity in bullous pemphigoid

Eosinophils play an important role in bullous pemphigoid (BP) pathogenesis. Although tissue infiltration with eosinophils has been known for a long time, there is a lack of knowledge about the relationship between tissue eosinophil levels and disease severity and clinical characteristics of the patients. Fifty-nine patients diagnosed with BP between January 2008 and December 2018 were reviewed. Haematoxylin-Eosin (H&E)-stained preparations were re-evaluated in terms of tissue eosinophil levels. For disease severity, Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) was used. The relationship between tissue eosinophil levels and disease severity and clinical features were evaluated. Erosion/blister and urticaria/erythema BPDAI scores were higher in the group with high tissue eosinophil level than the group with low tissue eosinophil level. Tissue and peripheral blood eosinophil count were correlated with total urticaria/erythema BPDAI scores. There was no correlation between blood and tissue eosinophil count. The mortality rate was 64.7% vs 44.0% in the high vs low tissue eosinophil groups. Tissue eosinophil levels were high in patients with BP accompanying neurological disease. Tissue eosinophil count and peripheral blood eosinophil count were correlated with disease severity in BP. Tissue eosinophil levels were also high in patients with BP accompanying neurological disease.

Serum sphingolipid profile in asthma.

Sphingolipids metabolism is an important cell process and plays critical roles in asthma. However, the involvement of sphingolipids in the pathogenesis of asthma and its subtypes is unknown. The present study aimed to determine the role of sphingolipids in asthma and its subtypes. Clinical data from 51 asthma patients and 9 healthy individuals were collected and serum samples were performed to analyze the levels of serum sphingolipids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics. Results showed that the levels of sphingomyelin (SM) including SM34:2, SM38:1, and SM40:1 were significantly decreased in asthmatic patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, serum SM levels were obviously decreased in the blood noneosinophilic asthma (bNEA) group compared with blood eosinophilic asthma group. Similar tendencies of serum SM level changes were observed in the early-onset group compared with late-onset group. Correlation analysis revealed that SM 40:1 was negatively related to sputum IL-17A (r=-0.621, P=0.042). The present study presented that the SM may be a protective factor of asthma and contributes to the mechanism of asthma, especially bNEA. SM may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in asthma.

Mixed Sputum Granulocyte Longitudinal Impact on Lung Function in the Severe Asthma Research Program.

Rationale: Some reports indicate longitudinal variability in sputum differential cell counts, whereas others describe stability. Highly variable sputum eosinophil percentages are associated with greater lung function loss than persistently elevated eosinophil percentages, but elevated neutrophils are linked to more severe asthma.Objectives: To examine sputum granulocyte stability or variability longitudinally and associations with important clinical characteristics.Methods: The SARP III (Severe Asthma Research Program III) cohort underwent comprehensive phenotype characterization at baseline and annually over 3 years. Adult subjects with acceptable sputum levels were assigned to one of three longitudinal sputum groups: eosinophils predominantly <2%, eosinophils predominantly ≥2%, or highly variable eosinophil percentages (>2 SDs determined from independent, repeated baseline eosinophil percentages). Subjects were similarly assigned to one of three longitudinal neutrophil groups with a 50% cut point.Measurements and Main Results: The group with predominantly <2% sputum eosinophils had the highest lung function (prebronchodilator FEV1% predicted, P < 0.01; FEV1/FVC ratio, P < 0.001) at baseline and throughout 3 years compared with other eosinophil groups. Healthcare use did not differ, although the highly variable eosinophil group reported more asthma exacerbations at Year 3. Longitudinal neutrophil groups showed few differences. However, a combination of predominantly ≥2% eosinophil and ≥50% neutrophil groups resulted in the lowest prebronchodilator FEV1% predicted (P = 0.049) compared with the combination with predominantly <2% eosinophils and<50% neutrophils.Conclusions: Subjects with predominantly ≥2% sputum eosinophils in combination with predominantly ≥50% neutrophils showed greater loss of lung function, whereas those with highly variable sputum eosinophils had greater healthcare use.

The influence of contoured sinus endoscopy on the recurrence of nasal polyps

Objective:The aim of this stusy is to study the effect of endoscopic surgery quality on the recurrence of nasal polyps. Methods:A total of 32 patients（64 sides） with recurrent nasal polyps were collected from December 2016 to June 2018, all of which were bilateral type Ⅱ diffuse nasal polyps in stage 3. According to the post-operative pathological results, patients were divided into eosinophilic nasal polyps group（EOS） and non-eosinophilic nasal polyps group（NEOS）. All patients underwent sinus CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction, combined with the sinus CT image performance and intraoperative findings, the quality of the patients' previous endoscopic sinus surgery was analyzed, and the CT L-M scores of sinuses before and after reoperation were compared between the two groups. Endoscopic L-K score, nasal symptoms VAS score, quality of life Snot-20 score. Results:Among 32 patients with recurrent nasal polyps, 17 cases （53.1%） of EOS nasal polyps were confirmed pathologically after surgery, and 15 cases （46.9%） of NEOS nasal polyps were confirmed. After the previous operation, the patient still has 60 sides（93.8%） of ethmoidal cells or ethmoidal septum, 56 sides（87.5%） of bone hyperplasia, 50 sides（78.1%） of bones in frontal recess air-cell or bone air-cell, and nasal cavity adhesion there were 10 sides（15.6%）, residual uncinate process 8（12.5%）, improper treatment of maxillary sinus ostia or atresia were 6（9.4%）, sphenoid sinus not open or atresia were 8（12.5%）, nasal septal deviation untreated were 4 cases（12.5%）, 1 case（3.1%） had recurrence without ethmoidal cells and residual bone interval. Patients both in the EOS group or the NEOS group were followed up with L-M score, L-K score, VAS score, and Snot-20 score after surgery, the result were significantly improved compared with the preoperative results. After follow-up of 1.5-3 years, 25 cases of polyps were completely controlled and 7 cases were partially controlled. Among them, 2 cases of EOS nasal polyps and asthma patients still had some polypoid changes in local mucosa one year after operation and was currently under medication control. Conclusion:Although the recurrence of nasal polyps is closely related to its intrinsic type, the technique of endoscopic surgery is also an important factor affecting the recurrence of nasal polyps. For patients with bilateral symmetric diffuse nasal polyps, high-quality sinus surgery of first time combined with standardized follow-up can reduce the recurrence rate of nasal polyps and prolong the relapse time.

Diagnostic value of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and of periostin in eosinophilic asthma: A prospective study

Background: Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and periostin are reliable biomarkers in eosinophilic asthma. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the use of periostin and TARC as biomarkers in asthma and to compare the superiority of one over the other, especially in asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype. Methods: The study was conducted with 87 patients with asthma and 42 healthy control subjects. Patients with asthma were also divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic phenotypes. A pulmonary function test was performed in all the participants, and serum and induced sputum TARC, periostin concentrations, eosinophils, and total immunoglobulin E values were examined. Results: TARC and periostin levels were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The serum TARC level in the eosinophilic group was significantly higher than in the non-eosinophilic and control groups (p < 0.001). The induced sputum TARC level was significantly higher in the non-eosinophilic group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The TARC and periostin levels of the patients were evaluated by using receiver operator characteristic analysis. The cutoff value for TARC was determined to be 1415.39 ng/L; likewise, the cutoff value for periostin was 107.60 ng/L. The present study detected that serum levels of TARC correlated to serum levels of periostin (r = 0.54; p = 0.032). Furthermore, when evaluating correlations between serum and sputum levels, there was a correlation detected between TARC and periostin in serum, whereas this correlation was stronger in sputum: r = 0.66, p = 0.020; and r = 0.62, p = 0.028, respectively. Conclusion: Serum and sputum TARC and periostin may contribute for monitoring the improvement of patients, particularly those with asthma. Furthermore, TARC was a more reliable biomarker than periostin for patients with eosinophilic asthma.

Pulmonary hypertension in eosinophilic versus noneosinophilic COPD.

BackgroundThe eosinophilic COPD phenotype is associated with greater airway remodelling, exacerbation risk and steroid responsiveness. However, little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in this patient population.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated a cohort of COPD patients with right heart catheterisation (RHC) data at a university hospital between January 2011 and May 2019 and compared the pulmonary vascular profile and prevalence of PH between eosinophilic and noneosinophilic patients using a definition of eosinophilic COPD as at least three blood eosinophil values ≥300 cells·µL−1. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine the association between eosinophilic COPD and various PH categories adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%), smoking status and use of supplemental oxygen.ResultsAmong 106 COPD patients with RHC data and at least three blood eosinophil values, 25% met the definition of eosinophilic COPD. Fewer patients among the eosinophilic group required long-term oxygen therapy (69% versus 93%, p=0.001) and total lung capacity was significantly lower in the eosinophilic group (p=0.006). This group had higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) (median (interquartile range) 30 (27–41) mmHg versus 25 (22–30) mmHg, p=0.001) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (4 (2.8–5.1) Wood units versus 2.9 (2.1–4.1) Wood units, p=0.018). On multivariable logistic regression analyses, eosinophilic phenotype was associated with PH (adjusted (a)OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.4–30.7; p=0.018) and pre-capillary PH (aOR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1–9; p=0.027), but not severe PH (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 0.6–7.2; p=0.219).ConclusionEosinophilic COPD was associated with higher mPAP and PVR and increased likelihood of PH. More studies are needed to further explore this finding.

Serum laminin levels in eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Aim: To compare serum laminin levels in eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic (neutrophilic) COPD patients and to define its association with disease severity. Material and Method: This prospective study included patients with mild, moderate, severe, and very severe stable COPD and a control group of patients with a history of smoking but with no signs or symptoms of COPD. Spirometric measurements and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria, was used to define the disease severity. Blood eosinophil percentage was recorded from complete blood counts. Serum laminin levels were measured in all patients. Results: A total of 216 patients were included in the study. Ninety were in the eosinophilic COPD, 90 were in the non-eosinophilic COPD and 36 were in the control groups. In both COPD groups, serum laminin levels were significantly higher than in the control group (P = 0.001). In the eosinophilic COPD group, serum laminin levels were significantly higher than the non-eosinophilic COPD group (P = 0.001). With an increase in COPD severity, laminin levels were higher in both COPD groups (P = 0.001). In correlation analysis performed in all COPD patients, laminin levels were positively correlated with eosinophilia percentage (r = 0.316, P = 0.001) and negatively correlated with the FEV1/FVC ratio (r = -0.160, P = 0. 032). Conclusion: Laminin has an important role in eosinophilic COPD and increased serum laminin levels are associated with an increase in serum eosinophilia percentage and a decrease in respiratory capacity.

Blood eosinophils on hospital admission for COPD exacerbation do not predict the recurrence of moderate and severe relapses.

Background and objectiveThe relationship between hospitalisation with an eosinophilic acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) and future relapses is unclear. We aimed to explore this association by following 152 patients for 12 months after hospital discharge or until their first moderate or severe flare-up.MethodsPatients hospitalised with AE-COPD were divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups based on full blood count results on admission. All patients were treated with a course of systemic corticosteroid. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to study the association with the time to first re-exacerbation; a generalised linear regression model was applied to identify clinical variables related to the recurrence of relapses.ResultsWe did not find a difference in the time to the next moderate or severe exacerbation between the eosinophilic (≥2% of total leukocytes and/or ≥200 eosinophils·µL−1, n=51, median (interquartile range): 21 (10–36) weeks) and non-eosinophilic groups (n=101, 17 (9–36) weeks, log-rank test: p=0.63). No association was found when other cut-off values (≥3% of total leukocytes and/or ≥300 eosinophils·µL−1) were used for the eosinophilic phenotype. However, the higher number of past severe exacerbations, a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at discharge and higher pack-years were related to shorter exacerbation-free time. According to a subgroup analysis (n=73), 48.1% of patients with initial eosinophilic exacerbations had non-eosinophilic relapses on readmission.ConclusionsOur data do not support an increased risk of earlier recurring moderate or severe relapses in patients hospitalised with eosinophilic exacerbations of COPD. Eosinophilic severe exacerbations present a variable phenotype.

Blood Eosinophils and Clinical Outcome of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Numerous studies have shown the association between eosinophilia and clinical outcomes of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). But the evidences are lack of consensus. Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to conduct a pooled analysis of outcome comparing eosinophilic (EOS) AECOPD and non-EOS AECOPD patients. Methods: We included PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases up to 2020 to retrieve articles. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies about patients with and without EOS AECOPD in terms of in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, comorbidities, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), gender, and BMI were included preclinical studies, review articles, editorials, commentaries, conference abstracts, and book chapters were excluded. The methodologic assessment of studies was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochran scale. Comprehensive Rev Man 5 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Twenty-one studies with 18,041 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were used in this meta-analysis. Comparing to the non-EOS group, those with EOS AECOPD patients had a lower risk for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36–0.95, p = 0.03), shorter length of hospital stay (OR = −0.72, 95% CI −1.44 to −0.00, p = 0.05), better FEV1 (mean difference = 0.14, 95% CI 0.08–0.20, p < 0.00001), and a lower risk of arrhythmias (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.01–2.21, p = 0.04). In addition, the non-EOS group had a higher percentage of male (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.15–1.56, p = 0.0002) than EOS group. The rate of steroid use (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.47–1.42, p = 0.48) and BMI (mean difference = 0.43, 95% CI −0.18 to 1.05, p = 0.17] had no difference between 2 groups. Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis suggest that EOS AECOPD patients have a better clinical outcome than non-EOS AECOPD patients in terms of length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, FEV1, and risk of arrhythmias. In addition, the non-EOS AECOPD patients have higher percentage of male than EOS AECOPD patients.

CASE-CONTROL STUDY ON VITAMIN D STATUS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS.

Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble steroid hormone and vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem especially among children and adolescents. Factors such as the low intake of vitamin D-rich food sources, poor absorption and less exposure to the sun influence this outcome. Vitamin D has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body by promoting regulatory T cell differentiation as well as recovering T helper 17 cell response and secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, histologically characterized by predominantly eosinophilic inflammation. The most common therapeutic approaches are allergen-eliminating diets, such as excluding cow's milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts and seafood, or more specific dietary restrictions. To verify the serum levels of vitamin D in children and adolescents with eosinophilic esophagitis on a restricted food diet and to analyze their association with nutritional status, consumption of different food sources, exposure to the sun and skin color. Case-control study conducted in the city of Campinas-SP, Brazil, in which included patients were aged 2 to 18 years old, and those diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis was referred to as the case group (n=15), meanwhile a control group (n=17) was also formed. Epidemiological data, nutritional status, data on vitamin D intake (24-hour recall - performed only by EoE patients - and self-reported intake of vitamin D food sources: milk and dairy products, canned tuna and sardines, Bull's liver, chicken eggs - applied in both groups), and daily time of sun exposure (≥30 min or ≤30 min) were recorded. The samples were collected for serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, where sufficiency levels >30 ng/mL were considered, insufficiency 21 to 30 ng/mL, deficiency <20 ng/mL. There was a higher frequency of vitamin D insufficiency/ deficiency in the Eosinophilic Esophagitis group (P=0.035), even with longer sun exposure (P= 0.035). Skin color was not associated with lower levels of vitamin D in both groups studied. No difference was found in nutritional status between the groups. The present study demonstrated a higher frequency of inadequate/ deficient levels of vitamin D in children and adolescents with EoE on a restricted diet. When necessary, serum levels should be investigated and correct exposure to the sun should be encouraged, with special attention to the recommended guidelines, time spent in the sun and the appropriate clothing for correct absorption. Since exposure for more than 30 minutes in the sun does not appear to have provided a protective effect in the EoE group, even in a region with high levels of solar radiation. There was a significant difference only in the consumption of cow's milk between the case and control groups, demonstrating the low adherence to the restriction diet by the case group. No association was found between serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and nutritional status. Moreover, no association regarding the adequate or inadequate status of 25 hydroxyvitamin D and the consumption vitamin D-rich foods was identified. Multicentered studies with a larger number of cases should be performed to assess serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and associated factors in pediatric patients with EoE.

Inflammatory Subtypes in Classic Asthma and Cough Variant Asthma.

BackgroundMeasurement of sputum is used to define airway inflammatory phenotypes. Cough variant asthma (CVA) is considered to be the initial stage of classic asthma (CA). The aim of this study was to describe the association between the different subtypes of CVA and CA.MethodsA total of 459 patients with CVA and CA were screened for the study. All included patients performed spirometry, underwent a bronchial challenge with methacholine and induced sputum according to the guidelines.ResultsA higher frequency of female patients were found with CVA and the eosinophilic airway inflammation of CVA than in CA and the noneosinophilic airway inflammation of CA (p=0.004 and p=0.024, respectively). Bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) was lower in eosinophilic CVA and CA (p=0.006), while no difference was found in noneosinophilic CVA and CA. Association between the percentage of sputum eosinophils and the FEV1 level fell below 20% of the baseline value (PD20) in CVA and CA (r= −0.1245, p=0.0357 and r= −0.2148, p=0.0014, respectively).ConclusionEosinophilia may be associated with more severe disease, yet there was no difference in spirometry between the eosinophilic and noneosinophilic groups, and the BHR difference was not dramatic.

Peripheral Blood Eosinophilia Is Associated with Poor Outcome Post-Lung Transplantation.

Eosinophils play a role in many chronic lung diseases. In lung transplantation (LTx), increased eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was associated with worse outcomes. However, the effect of peripheral blood eosinophilia after LTx has not been investigated thoroughly. A retrospective study was performed including all LTx patients between 2011–2016. Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)-free and graft survival were compared between patients with high and low blood eosinophils using an 8% threshold ever during follow-up. A total of 102 patients (27.1%) had high blood eosinophils (≥8%) (45 before CLAD and 17 after, 40 had no CLAD) and 274 (72.9%) had low eosinophils (<8%). Patients with high blood eosinophils demonstrated worse graft survival (p = 0.0001) and CLAD-free survival (p = 0.003) compared to low eosinophils. Patients with both high blood and high BAL (≥2%) eosinophils ever during follow-up had the worst outcomes. Within the high blood eosinophil group, 23.5% had RAS compared to 3% in the group with low eosinophils (p < 0.0001). After multivariate analysis, the association between high blood eosinophils and graft and CLAD-free survival remained significant (p = 0.036, p = 0.013) independent of high BAL eosinophils and infection at peak blood eosinophilia, among others. LTx recipients with ever ≥8% blood eosinophils demonstrate inferior graft and CLAD-free survival, specifically RAS, which requires further prospective research.

IMPACT OF SERUM EOSINOPHIL COUNTS ON HOSPITAL LENGTH OF STAY, READMISSION RATES, AND IN-HOSPITAL OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE EXACERBATION OF COPD

SESSION TITLE: Obstructive Lung Disease Posters SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Posters PRESENTED ON: October 18-21, 2020 PURPOSE: To assess whether serum eosinophilia increases hospital lengths of stay, readmission rates, intubation rates, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. METHODS: This was an observational retrospective study design. We analyzed data of patients admitted for acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) between January 2011 and December 2018. Patients were stratified into high eosinophil group if the blood eosinophil count at admission was ≥2% of the total white blood cells or ≥150cells/µL. Inclusion criteria included spirometry showing FEV1/FVC ratios less than 70%, age over 40 years, and smoking history. The study was approved by the University of Missouri Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: A total of 87 patients were included in the analysis. The average age was 62 years (SD 8.95) and 57% of patients were female. The average length of stay was 4 days (SD 3.94 days). There were 16 (18%) patients with eosinophils greater than 2% and 25 (29%) patients with eosinophils greater than 150 cells/µL. The average FEV1 was 1.42L (SD 0.55L). There were 15 patients (17%) who were readmitted within 1 year. There was no difference in readmission rates between the low eosinophil group compared to the high eosinophil group (OR, 0.582; 95% CI, 0.118–2.86; P =0.725). There was also no statistically significant difference in lengths of stay between the two groups (4.23 days vs 2.56, p =0.128). There was no difference in the intubation rates (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.096-8.09; p=.91) or ICU admission rates (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.245-2.95 p=.798). Serum eosinophil counts decreased from admission to discharge. Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) use prior to admission did not influence eosinophil levels. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral eosinophilia (>2% of total white cell count) at time of admission in patients presenting with AE-COPD does not appear to have a significant impact on ICU admission, intubation, hospital LOS, or readmission. Our data is limited by a small sample size. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: More clinical research is required to determine the accuracy and usefulness of eosinophils as a biomarker for outcomes in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. There is continued need to search for other biomarkers to help us better define the risk of COPD exacerbation. This is especially important in determining patients who may be at higher risk for intubation and ICU admission. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Trent Bailey, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by karthik Gangu, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Armin Krvavac, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Tinashe Maduke, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Pooja Nair, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Sara Tepe, source=Web Response

Blood Eosinophil Count and Hospital Readmission in Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PurposeThis retrospective, observational cohort study investigated the association of blood eosinophil counts within 1 week of hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) with subsequent risk of all-cause and COPD-related readmission from a large integrated health system.Patients and MethodsElectronic medical records were extracted for index hospitalization for AECOPD at all Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. The primary outcome was the relationship of blood eosinophil count to 30-day all-cause readmission; secondary outcomes were 60-day, 90-day, and 12-month all-cause readmission, COPD-related readmission, and empiric derivation of the eosinophil count with the highest area under the curve (AUC) for predicting 30-day all-cause readmission.ResultsOf 2445 included patients, 1935 (79%) had a blood eosinophil count <300 cells/µL and 510 (21%) had a count ≥300 cells/µL. Using a 300-cells/μL threshold, there was no significant difference between high and low eosinophil groups in 30-day (odds ratio [OR]=1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.75–1.47) or 60-day (OR=1.15, 95% CI=0.88–1.51) all-cause readmissions. However, patients with greater (versus lesser) eosinophil counts had increased 90-day and 12-month all-cause readmissions (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.06–1.72, and OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.07–1.62). COPD-related readmission rates were significantly greater for patients with greater (versus lesser) eosinophil counts at 30, 60, and 90 days and 12 months (OR range=1.52–1.97). A total of 70 cells/µL had the most discriminatory power to predict 30-day all-cause readmission (highest AUC).ConclusionEosinophil counts in patients with COPD were not associated with a difference in 30-day all-cause readmissions. However, greater eosinophil counts were associated with increased risk of all-cause readmission at 90 days and 12 months and COPD-related readmission at 30, 60, and 90 days and 12 months. Patients with eosinophils <70 cells/μL had the lowest risk for 30-day all-cause readmission. Blood eosinophils in patients hospitalized with AECOPD may be a useful biomarker for the risk of hospital readmission.

A new predictor to determine the exacerbation and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: eosinophil/neutrophil ratio.

COPD is an inflammatory disease characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. Currently, it has been demonstrated in some studies that eosinophil and T helper-2 mediated inflammation play a role in the pathophysiology of COPD. It was planned to evaluate eosinophilia, eosinophil/ neutrophil ratio (ENR), distribution of ENR according to GOLD groups, number of exacerbations in last year, relationship between ENR and the rate of ICS use in COPD patients, and the ENR cut-off value that predicts eosinophilic COPD. This study was planned prospectively in stable COPD patients between July 2017 and December 2017. All patients were divided into two groups as eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic group. Eosinophilia was considered to be > 2% of peripheric blood eosinophils. A total of 206 stable COPD patients (127 eosinophilic and 79 noneosinophilic) were included. Age, gender, BMI, smoking history, mMrc score were statistically similar while average pack-year of smoking was significantly higher in eosinophilic group. ENR was significantly higher in eosinophilic group as expected (p<0.001). High positive correlation was found between ENR and eosinophilic COPD (r= 0.8, p<0.001). In Group D, the number of eosinophilic COPD patients is significantly higher than the non-eosinophilic group while the distribution of patients in group A, B, C was similar. Although the PFT findings were similar in both groups, the use of ICS was significantly lower and the number of exacerbations was significantly higher in eosinophilic group. In the ROC analysis, the ENR cut-off value that predicts eosinophilic COPD was found to be 0.32 in all COPD patients (Sens: 93.7%, Specif: 92.4%, AUC= 0.97, p<0.001). Based on these findings, it is considered that more priority should be given to the use of ICS in COPD patients with high ENR and it can be used as a marker for predicting COPD exacerbation as COPD exacerbations are higher in patients with ENR.

Association between blood eosinophils with exacerbation and patient-reported outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in an endemic area for parasitic infections: a prospective study.

BackgroundEosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have eosinophilic airway inflammation. No prospective study has reported blood eosinophil counts in an endemic area for parasitic infection. The primary objective was to compare exacerbation rates. The secondary objectives were patient-reported outcomes between eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic COPD.MethodsA prospective study was conducted in COPD patients for 52 weeks. COPD was diagnosed according to GOLD criteria. Blood eosinophil counts were recorded at study entry. Exacerbations were recorded during the entire study period whereas COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and spirometry were recorded at 12 months. The eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups were defined by blood eosinophil counts ≥300 and <300 cells/µL, respectively.ResultsA total of 145 COPD patients were included. Fifty-eight (40%) and 87 (60%) patients were eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic COPD and the median [interquartile range (IQR)] eosinophil counts were 481 [378.5, 675] and 149 [101.2, 208] cells/µL, respectively. The median (IQR) annual exacerbation rates were 3 [2, 4] and 2 [2, 2.5] times/year in the eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups, respectively (P=0.024). The eosinophilic group had higher admissions (P=0.007) but lower mortality (P=0.041). The patient-reported outcomes were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Eosinophil counts ≥300 cells/µL identified exacerbation in COPD patients with sensitivity and specificity of 0.71 and 0.64, respectively.ConclusionsCOPD patients with blood eosinophil counts ≥300 cells/µL had more exacerbations and admissions but lower mortality than the non-eosinophilic patients. Blood eosinophil count is an effective biomarker to predict exacerbation risk in endemic parasitic areas.Trial registrationNCT04123028 at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Clinical characteristics of neutrophilic, eosinophilic and mixed-type exacerbation phenotypes of COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) comprises a significant number of emergency department (ED) presentations, and hematological phenotypes may have prognostic significance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hematological phenotypes on serious outcomes in COPD exacerbations. A prospective cohort study was carried out in patients with COPD exacerbation presenting to the ED. The patients were classified into three groups, including neutrophilic, eosinophilic, and mixed-type (including neutrophilic and eosinophilic features) COPD exacerbation. Outcome measures were defined as mortality, hospitalization, and need for intensive care unit (ICU) care within three months, and these outcomes were compared among groups. A total of 173 COPD patients were assessed for eligibility, and 147 of them were included in the final analysis. The study population consisted of 90 patients with neutrophilic exacerbation (61.2%), 26 patients with eosinophilic exacerbation (17.7%), and 31 patients with mixed-type exacerbation (21.1%). The neutrophilic exacerbation group was older, was more often tachycardic and desaturated, and had more sputum production compared with the eosinophilic exacerbation group. Mortality was seen in 35 patients in the neutrophilic exacerbation group (38.9%), whereas 5 patients in the eosinophilic group (19.2%) and 6 patients in the mixed-type group (19.4%) died (p=.044). No difference was observed among groups in terms of hospital and ICU admission. COPD exacerbations with neutrophilic phenotypes presented to the ED with more serious clinical findings compared with eosinophilic exacerbations. This may also have a possible effect on mortality.

The Importance of Eosinophilia in The Early Diagnosis of Fascioliasis, Toxocariasis and Hydatidosis

Helminthiasis, especially in tissue-mediated are the most common cause of persistent eosinophilia. However, these finding neglected and misdiagnosed. This study aims to determine the seroprevalence of fascioliasis, hydatidosis, and toxocariasis in eosinophilic patients and to demonstrate diagnostic criteria of eosinophilia in the early diagnosis of the three parasitic diseases. The study was conducted between March 2015 and June 2016 at the Parasitology Laboratory of Dursun Odabaş Medical Center at Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey. The eosinophilic group included 270 cases and the control group included 100 non eosinophilic cases. Blood samples from both eosinophilic cases and the control cases were analyzed by ELISA method. The eosinophilic group were determined 11.5% seropositive for fascioliasis, 7% for hydatidosis and 15.2% were seropositive for toxocariasis. The control group seropositivity was determined as 4% for fascioliasis, 5% for hydatidosis and 7% for toxocariasis. All of the cases, who were identified as seropositive, were found positive for only one of these diseases. Significant differences were determined between eosinophilia and Fasciola hepatica (p&lt;0.05) and Toxocara sp. (p&lt;0.05) seropositivity. No significant difference was determined for the frequency of parasite prevalence among these three groups of cases between age groups (except for cases with positive hydatidosis (p&lt;0.05)) and gender. As a result, it is concluded that evaluating the eosinophilic cases serologically for fascioliasis and toxocariasis could be useful for definitive diagnosis. Keywords : Eosinophilia, Fascioliasis, Hydatidosis, Toxocariasis DOI : 10.7176/JHMN/78-01

The role of preoperative blood eosinophil counts in distinguishing chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps phenotypes.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a common heterogenous disease in the patients with chronic airway diseases. This study investigated the role of blood eosinophil count (BEC) in the classification of CRSwNP and its recurrence in eosinophilic CRSwNP. Sixty-five patients who underwent nasal endoscopic resection of CRSwNP were recruited and divided into eosinophilic CRSwNP and non-eosinophilic CRSwNP groups based on the levels (10% cutoff) of eosinophil infiltration as indicated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. We recruited 30 patients in the eosinophilic CRSwNP group and 35 patients in the non-eosinophilic CRSwNP group. The outcome of preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, preoperative Lund-Mackay score, and preoperative Lund-Kennedy score between the 2 groups were comparable. The level of BEC in the eosinophilic CRSwNP group was significantly higher than that of non-eosinophilic CRSwNP group (0.79 ± 0.27 × 109 /L vs 0.30 ± 0.22 × 109 /L; p < 0.001). We observed a statistical significance in the number of H&E eosinophils (29.11 ± 2.93 vs 3.17 ± 0.51; p < 0.001) and CRSwNP phenotypes (eosinophilic/non-eosinophilic, 28/3 vs 2/32; p < 0.001) when the cutoff value of BEC was set at 0.39 × 109 /L. The disease-free recurrence (DFR) was found to be statistically significant when the cutoff value of BEC was 0.73 × 109 /L in eosinophilic CRSwNP (p = 0.009). Results indicate that BEC may be capable of distinguishing CRSwNP phenotypes as well as predicting polyp recurrence in eosinophilic CRSwNP. Given the relatively small sample size, further studies will be necessary to confirm a role for BEC as a systemic biomarker in CRSwNP.