The functional status of neutrophils in patients with bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract

Bronchial asthma (BA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), BA+COPD, and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are very common conditions. The main pathogenetic mechanism in the abovementioned conditions is inflammation, which is heterogeneous in both its etiology and pathogenesis in patients with these disorders.1 Neutrophils ensure and support body homeostasis and play a pivotal role in the defense against infections.2,3 One of the main causes of a chronic inflammatory process can be neutrophil dysfunction. Reacting to the various pathogenetic factors, neutrophils release active oxygen metabolites, proteolytic enzymes, etc. into the surrounding environment, thus ‘cleaning up’ the inflammatory site but concurrently destroying its own tissues.