Objective To investigate the influence of airflow limitation upon lung deposition of inhaled corticosteroids in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) . Methods The radionuclide 99mTc was used to lable budesonide which was inhaled through compressor nebulizer. Lung deposition was evaluated by nuclear medicine pulmonary ventilation scintigraphy. Peripheral to central ratio of lung deposition ( P/C% ) was calculated by region of interest ( ROI) metod. Results Forty-threepatients with stable COPD were enrolled in the study, of whom 41 patients completed the trial. The median age was 68 years ( range, 48 to 79 years) and the median FEV1 was 44. 9% predicted. The P/C% was ( 47. 96 ±6. 08) % . The patients with P/C% more than 50% had a higher FEV1% pred and FEV1 /FVC than those with P/C% less than 50% [ FEV1% pred: ( 51. 85 ±18. 20) % vs. ( 40. 52 ±12. 99) % .FEV1 /FVC: ( 59. 95 ±11. 87) % vs. ( 51. 73 ±9. 28) % ] . There was a positive correlation between P/C% and FEV1% pred ( r = 0. 391, P = 0. 024) and FEV1 /FVC ratio ( r = 0. 517, P = 0. 002) . Conclusion Lung peripheral airway deposition of inhaled corticosteroids was limited by airflow obstruction.
Objective To investigate the percentage of CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells and expression of Foxp3 mRNA in asthmatic patients and the impacts of inhaled steroids.Methods The percentages of CD4 +CD25 + Treg cells was assayed by flow cytometry and the expression of Foxp3 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patients with chronic persistent asthma before and after steroids inhalation in comparison with healthy control. The forced expired volumin one second/predicted value( FEV1% pred) and peak expired flow( PEF) were measured by spirometry. Results The level of CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells and the expression of Foxp3 mRNA were lower in asthmatics before steroids treatment than those in control ( P lt; 0. 05) which were increased significantly after steroids treatment ( P lt; 0. 05) .FEV1% pred and PEF were declined significantly than those in control but improved markedly after treatment ( P lt; 0. 05) . Conclusions The insufficiency of amount and function of immue-suppressive CD4 + CD25 +Treg cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Inhaled steroids can improve the lung function of asthmatics by upregulating the level of CD4 + CD25 + Treg and Foxp3.