Role of local eosinophilopoietic processes in the development of airway eosinophilia in prednisone‐dependent severe asthma

BACKGROUND: In severe asthmatics with persistent airway eosinophilia, blockade of interleukin-5 has significant steroid-sparing effects and attenuates blood and sputum eosinophilia. The contribution of local maturational processes of progenitors within the airways relative to the recruitment of mature cells from the peripheral circulation to the development of airway eosinophilia is not known. We hypothesize that local eosinophilopoiesis may be …