Prevalence And Clinical Characteristics Of Blood Eosinophilia In Patients With Acute Exacerbation Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In China

To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of peripheral blood eosinophilia (EOS) in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). From July 2014 to June 2016, AECOPD patients in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, were retrospectively stratified into two groups according to two standards of eosinophilic exacerbations (the peripheral blood eosinophil count ≥2% or ≥3% on admission). Demography, clinical symptoms, laboratory results, length of stay, total hospitalization expenses, and defined daily expenses were compared between groups. A total of 559 cases with AECOPD were finally recorded, the prevalence of eosinophilia was 43.1% (241 cases by EOS≥2%) and 27.2% (152 cases by EOS≥3%), respectively. According to either standard, there were no significant differences in sexes, age, course of disease (>0.05), and there were no significant differences in global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) grades, parameters of pulmonary function, modified british medical research council (mMRC) scores, rate of antibiotic use, systemic glucocorticoids administration, and average daily expenses (>0.05). According to 2% standard, leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, hs-CRP were lower than non-eosinophilic patients [(5.9±2.0)×10(9)/L vs (8.2±4.0)×10(9)/L, (3.9±1.6)×10(9)/L vs (6.5±3.8)×10(9)/L, (0.446±0.169)×10(9)/L vs (0.501±0.276)×10(9)/L, (25.8±35.9) vs (46.2±55.6) mg/L, all <0.01]; basophils, lymphocytes were higher than non-eosinophilic patients [(0.043±0.025)×10(9)/L vs (0.029±0.021) ×10(9)/L, (1.3±0.6) ×10(9)/L vs (1.1±0.6) ×10(9)/L, both <0.01]; length of stay, total hospital expense were shorter (or lower) than non-eosinophilic patients [(10.6±5.0) vs (11.6±5.8) d, (11 851±7 491) vs (14 254±10 751) RMB, both <0.05]. According to 3% standard, leucocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, hs-CRP were lower than non-eosinophilic patients (all <0.05), and basophil were higher than non-eosinophilic patients (<0.01), but no significant differences were observed in lymphocytes, length of stay and total hospital expense (all >0.05). Eosinophilia is of relative high prevalence in AECOPD patients, and basophil in eosinophilic patients is higher than non-eosinophilic patients.