Objective: 

to analyse eosinophils and neutrophils count changes in induced sputum (IS) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma (BA) patients, as well as healthy subjects depending on smoking history.

Methods: 

we studied 30 patients of COPD, 29 patients of BA and 38 healthy steroids-naive adult's subjects with different smoking history. The age and gender ratios were similar in all groups. Sputum induction was performed according to European Respiratory Society (ERS) protocol. Cells were stained according to Mey-Grunwald- Geimsa method and were counted in Neubauer chamber.

Results: 

Both COPD patients and healthy subjects were found to have a significant increase of leukocyte relative (p=0.0311, r²=0.1630 and p=0.288, r²=0.129) and absolute (p=0.0369, r²=0.146 and p=0.0216, r²=0.142) count in IS under the influence of tobacco smoked during the life- time. In turn BA patients were not found any significant influence of amount of tobacco smoked during the life-time on the relative (p=0.618, r²=0.0093) and absolute (p=0.265, r²=0.0495) eosinophil leukocyte count in sputum. The amount of tobacco smoked during the life-time in healthy subjects, COPD and BA patients equally increased neutrophil leukocyte relative (p=0.0122, r²=0.167; p=0.0278, r²=0.161; p=0.00210, r²=0.300) and absolute (p=0.0229, r²=0.136; p=0.0187, r²=0.182; p=0.215, r²=0.0659) count in IS.

Conclusions: 

by smoking history increaing in COPD patients and healthy subjects accordingly increases eosinophil inflammation. In BA patients smoking history does not influence eosinophil leukocyte count in IS. Smoking progressively promotes neitrophil inflammation in bronchi in COPD and BA patients and smokers without airways obstruction.