Objective: To investigate the distribution of airway
inflammation phenotypes in patients with
bronchial asthma and its correlation with
asthma control level. Methods: Patients who met GINA 2017
asthma diagnostic criteria from October 2017 to April 2018 in respiratory outpatient department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were included. The clinical data of non-acute
asthma patients were prospectively collected, including general data,
asthma control level, pulmonary function, induced sputum cell classification, serum total
IgE, exhaled
nitric oxide (FeNO), blood cell classification. The correlation between phenotype distribution of airway
inflammation and airway
inflammation markers (eosinophils in sputum, FeNO, blood eosinophil, serum
IgE) and
asthma control was analyzed by correlation analysis. The correlation between sputum eosinophil level and FeNO, blood eosinophil count, serum total
IgE, forced expiratory volume in one-second (FEV(1)) predicted (FEV(1)%
pred) was analyzed by correlation analysis too. Results: A total of 97 asthmatic patients were enrolled. There were 38 males (39.2%) and 59 females (60.8%), aged (48±14) (range 22 to 80). Control level of
asthma:13 cases (13.4%) were controlled, 39 cases(40.2%) were partially controlled and 45 cases (46.4%) were uncontrolled. The phenotypes of airway
inflammation were eosinophilic 51 cases (52.6%), neutrophilic 9 cases (9.3%), mixed 35 cases (36.1%) and paucigranulocytic 2 cases (2.1%). There was no significant correlation between airway
inflammation phenotype distribution, airway
inflammation markers and
asthma control level (P>0.05). Sputum eosinophil level was positively correlated with FeNO level in controlled and uncontrolled patients (r=0.420, P=0.008 and r=0.325, P=0.031); sputum eosinophil level was positively correlated with blood eosinophil level in uncontrolled
asthma patients (r=0.328, P=0.037). There was no significant correlation between sputum eosinophil level and FEV(1)%
pred (P>0.05). Conclusions: Eosinophil type is the dominant type of airway
inflammation in asthmatic patients, and there is no significant correlation between airway
inflammation and
asthma control level. At present, airway
inflammation cannot be used to assess
asthma control level.