RESUMEN
The aim of the study was to compare the clinical characteristics and the inflammatory process activity in the airway of patients with severe therapy-sensitive and therapy-resistant bronchial asthma (TSBA; TRBA). The subjects were 171 patients with severe bronchial asthma (BA) aged 18 to 60; the diagnosis was established prior to the study according to GINA 2002 criteria. There were 50 TSBA patients, 121 TRBA, and 50 controls. According to a range of criteria, BA in TRBA was more severe than that in TSBA. TRBA patients displayed significantly higher indices of inflammatory process activity, such as absolute and relative number of eosinophiles and neutrophiles in induced sputum (IS), and IS level of IL-5. Evaluation of IS inflammatory markers in patients with severe BA allowed substantiation of the central role of persistent inflammation as a risk factor of TRBA development.