Background: Airway inflammation is a fundamental feature of bronchial asthma. We examined whether educational guidance using a text on pathophysiology and management of asthma modify airway inflammation of severe asthma.
Methods: Eighteen severe persistent asthmatics were enrolled in this study. Evaluation on asthma control using Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Health Questionnaire (AHQ)-Japan), FEV1, percentages of eosinophils and neutrophils in induced sputum were analyzed before and 4 weeks after patient education process.
Results: Following educational guidance, ACT and FEV1 did not improve, but AHQ score significantly improved. Furthermore, percentage of eosinophils in sputum significantly reduced. On the contrary, the percentage of neutrophils in sputum was not changed. In accordance with this lack of the change in neutrophil numbers, neutrophil chemoattractants including IL-8 or CXCR3 in the induced sputum did not change before and after patient guidance.
Conclusion: Educational guidance using a text on pathophysiology and management of asthma provides some effects on quality of life in asthmatic patients and eosinophilic inflammation, however, this procedure does not modify the control status of asthma and neutrophilic inflammation seen with severe asthma.