Clinicians have been interested in the macroscopic and protocol (fig 1), based on that
described by Pin et al7 using a relatively low output ultrasonic nebuliser (output 0.9 ml/…

Since the first attempts to use standardised methods for sampling induced airways sputum,
two methods for processing the expectorate have evolved. The first involves selecting all …

Background Depression is frequently reported in association with COPD. However, the
prevalence of depression in these patients ranges largely. This study aimed to systematically …

Background Eosinophilic inflammation, which may be a consequence of interleukin-5 action,
is a characteristic feature of some forms of asthma. However, in three previous clinical trials …

Methods to examine sputum for indices of airway inflammation are evolving. We have
examined the repeatability and the validity of an improved method to measure sputum cells and …

One important goal of asthma treatment is to reduce exacerbations. The current authors
investigated if the use of sputum cell counts to guide treatment would achieve this goal. A total of …

… Sputum selected from saliva was processed within 2 h as described by Pizzichini and
colleagues (14). Briefly, sputum was treated by adding four volumes of 0.1% dithiothreitol (DTT) (…

Sputum examination is being used increasingly as a noninvasive method to assess airway
inflammation. Expectorated sputum has variable contamination with saliva. Methods of …

… Sputum was induced with normal or hypertonic saline, then selected from expectorate
and treated with dithiothreitol using the methods of Pizzichini and co-workers 13, 23. It was …

Inhalation of hypertonic saline to induce sputum may alter cells and fluid-phase markers in
sputum. We have compared indices of inflammation in sputum produced spontaneously with …