Are sputum eosinophil cationic protein and eosinophils differently associated with clinical and functional findings of asthma?

Summary Background Sputum eosinophil counts and eosinophil cationic protein ( ECP ) levels are usually increased in asthmatic patients. The correlation between sputum eosinophils or ECP and clinical findings of asthma has been previously investigated but many of these studies have been performed on small samples of asthmatic patients, considering only few clinical indices and often including patients on oral or inhaled corticosteroids, which...