Same role and same treatment for airway eosinophilia in asthma and COPD?

In summary, eosinophils may be detected in asthmatic and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease airways. However, the proportion of patients with airway eosinophilia is greatly different in the two diseases. Both in asthma and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease the presence of airway eosinophilia is predictive of a better response to corticosteroid treatment. Most of the benefit of corticosteroids is on severe exacerbation of both diseases, suggesting a similar role of these cells in airway diseases that are, in general, phenotypically dissimilar. These findings provide a rationale for a treatment strategy based on sputum eosinophil count. Other longer prospective studies, including cost/benefit evaluation, are needed before the utility of this strategy in clinical practice can be established. Copyright © ERS Journals Ltd 2007.