The present study was conducted to assess the characteristics of airway inflammation in patients with COPD by measuring the sputum level of IL-8. Eighty subjects were included in this study. 40 patients with COPD, 30 patients with bronchial asthma and 10 healthy control. All of studied groups were subjected tofu!! history, ventilatory pulmonary function tests and measurement of IL-8 in sputum supemant by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study elucidated significant higher level of IL-8 in COPD patients than in bronchial asthma patients or in the control subjects. There was significant negative correlation between sputum level of IL-8 and pulmonary function parameters. Also it was found that EFVI% was the only parameter of pulmonary function test which could significantly predict the sputum level of IL-8. It is concluded that IL-8 may serve as a marker in evaluation of the severity of airway inflammation and its sputum level was closely related to the severity of airway obstruction in COPD patients |
