Sputum samples from 34 patients with bronchiectasis were assessed subjectively and the results related to objective measurements of elastase activity and albumin content. The results suggest that the macroscopic appearance of the sample is related to the elastase content. 88.7% of the purulent samples but none of the mucoid samples showing elastase activity. The macroscopic appearance was also associated with changes in protein transudation into the secretions. The median sputum: serum albumin concentration ratio was 0.71 X 10(-2) (range 0.22-4.7) in the mucoid samples but was greater in purulent samples (p less than 0.005), with a median value of 1.52 X 10(-2) (range 0.55-12.72), suggesting that purulence in the stable state was associated with low grade pulmonary inflammation or epithelial damage or both. Abnormalities of air flow were found in 24 of the patients (70.6%) but there was a significantly higher ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity (p less than 0.025) in patients who regularly produced purulent sputum (mean (SD) RV/TLC 44.4% (9.0%] than in those with mucoid or mucopurulent secretions (38.0% (9.9%]. A similar difference was found between those who produced elastase positive secretions and those who produced elastase negative ones.
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机译：对34例支气管扩张患者的痰液样本进行了主观评估，其结果与弹性蛋白酶活性和白蛋白含量的客观测定有关。结果表明，样品的宏观外观与弹性蛋白酶含量有关。 88.7％的脓性样品，但没有黏液样样品显示弹性蛋白酶活性。宏观外观还与蛋白质渗入分泌物中的变化有关。在粘液样样品中，痰液：血清白蛋白的中位数浓度比为0.71 X 10（-2）（范围为0.22-4.7），在脓性样品中则更高（p小于0.005），中位数为1.52 X 10（-2） ）（范围0.55-12.72），表明稳定状态下的化脓与低度肺部炎症或上皮损伤或两者都有关系。在24例患者中发现气流异常（70.6％），但是定期产生化脓性痰（平均（SD）RV / TLC）的患者中，残余量与总肺活量的比率明显更高（p小于0.025）。与具有粘液或粘液尿液分泌的患者相比，有44.4％（9.0％）（38.0％（9.9％）。在产生弹性蛋白酶阳性分泌物的人和产生弹性蛋白酶阴性分泌物的人之间发现了相似的差异。
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