Outcomes of Peripheral Blood Eosinophilia in Hospitalized Exacerbations of COPD
Abstract Background The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines define COPD as a disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, is usually progressive, and is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to inhaled noxious particles or gases. Objective To identify outcomes of patients with eosinophilic COPD exacerbations requiring hospital admission. Patients and Methods This study is a prospective cohort study that was conducted on two groups of total 60 patients recruited from Ain Shams University hospitals between October 2019 and July 2020. Group 1: Eosinophilic COPD exacerbation if the peripheral blood eosinophil on admission is ≥ 200 cells/µL and/or ≥2% of the total leukocyte count Group 2: Non-eosinophilic COPD exacerbation if the peripheral blood eosinophil on admission is < 200 cells/µL and/or < 2% of the total leukocyte count. Results There was significant high diagnostic performance in predicting readmission at 6-month among eosinophilic group. Eosinophils count, percent (%) and NLR cutoff points had high characteristics (highest in NLR ≥3.1 at discharge) in predicting readmission at 6-month among eosinophilic group. Diagnostic performance of Eosinophils count, percent (%) and NLR were assessed. Eosinophils count, percent (%) and NLR had significant high diagnostic performance in predicting readmission at 6-month among eosinophilic group. Eosinophils count, % and NLR cutoff points had high characteristics (highest in NLR ≥2.1 at discharge) in predicting readmission at 6month among non-eosinophilic group. Conclusion Eosinophils can be used as a prognostic marker in non-infective COPD exacerbations. Validity of eosinophil count and percent as a prognostic parameter in COPD exacerbation can be increased by combining with other parameters for example NLR.