PREDICTION OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS BY PERIPHERAL-BLOOD NEUTROPHILS AND EOSINOPHILS IN THE 1ST NATIONAL NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY (NHANES-I)

To examine specific cellular markers of inflammation in peripheral blood (neutrophils and eosinophils) and their relationship to respiratory symptoms, we used data from the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I). Cross-sectional data were available on a random sample of 6,913 adults aged 30 to 74 years who had American Thoracic Society-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute questionnaire information on respiratory symptoms and illnesses, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea (grade 3), chronic cough, and chronic phlegm. Information was available on age, race, smoking status, peripheral blood leukocyte count, and differential cell count. These data were analyzed using logistic regression controlling for age, race, sex, and cigarette smoking. Physician-diagnosed asthma was significantly associated only with the eosinophil count (p=0.001). Physician-diagnosed bronchitis was significantly associated with the neutrophil count (p=0.012) and marginally associated with the eosinophil count (p=0.072). Chronic phlegm was also significantly associated with both the eosinophil count (p=0.049) and the neutrophil count (p=0.041). Grade 3 dyspnea (p=0.049) was only significantly associated with the neutrophil count. These data suggest that both peripheral blood neutrophils and eosinophils are associated with a broad range of respiratory symptoms and that the eosinophil may play a role in nonasthmatic respiratory inflammation.