NEUTROPHILS AND RESPIRATORY TRACT BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AND COPD
The article concerns the role of respiratory tract bacterial infections in development of bronchial asthma and COPD. Analysis is based on current publications and results of clinical investigations. Ability of neutrophils to protect the respiratory system from bacterial agents is underlined. The results obtained during investigation of 132 bronchial asthma and 33 COPD patients showed that in allergic asthma patients high percentage of sputum neutrophils is associated with normal FEV<sub>1</sub>% and mild course of the disease. In COPD patients high percentage of sputum neutrophils is usually associated with low FEV<sub>1</sub>%. It is proposed, that in these patients functional activity of neutrophils is associated with predominant injury of respiratory structures.