Objectives:
The aim of the study was to evaluate sputum obtained from asthmatic and non-asthmatic patients in terms of eosinophil percentage, presence of Charcot-Leyden Crystals (CLC) and culture results of sputum samples.
Materials and Methods:
In the study, 74 sputum culture samples sent to Ankara University Medical Faculty Hospital Cebeci Central Microbiology Laboratory between February 2021 and June 2021 were evaluated. Microscopic evaluations of the sputum samples were made with Gram and Giemsa stained preparations. The culture results of the sputum samples, which were accepted as “appropriate samples” according to the Gram stain results, were evaluated. Microorganisms were identified by conventional methods and automated systems VITEK II (bioMérieux, France) and MALDI-TOF MS (bioMérieux, France) were used as automated systems. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were applied and evaluated in accordance with the recommendations of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.
Results:
A total of 74 sputum samples were evaluated. Eosinophilia was detected in 40.9% of the sputum of asthmatic patients. While the mean percentage of eosinophils was found to be 0.63% in patients without a diagnosis of asthma (n=52), this rate was found as 3.04% in patients with asthma (n=22). CLC was detected in four of the sputum samples of those diagnosed with asthma. Microorganisms isolated from 16 (30.7%) of non-asthmatic patients in 6 (27.2%) of the sputum samples of patients with asthma were considered as causative agents. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequently isolated agent from the sputum samples. None of the panresistant microorganisms were not isolated.
Conclusion:
It was thought that it would be appropriate to evaluate both the percentage of eosinophils and the presence of CLC together as laboratory parameters that will help clinical diagnosis in cases with airway hyperreactivity such as asthma.
Keywords: Asthma, Sputum, Eosinophil, Charcot-Leyden Crystals
