TY - JOUR T1 - Idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia and asthma: how do they influence each other? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 8 LP - 13 DO - 10.1183/09031936.03.00085603 VL - 22 IS - 1 AU - E. Marchand AU - B. Etienne-Mastroianni AU - P. Chanez AU - D. Lauque AU - P. Leclerc AU - J.F. Cordier AU - the Groupe d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Maladies Orphelines Pulmonaires (GERM“O”P) Y1 - 2003/07/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/22/1/8.abstract N2 - Since idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (ICEP) and asthma are frequently associated, their possible reciprocal influence on clinical presentation and evolution were investigated. The clinical and follow-up features of 53 cases of ICEP, of which 41 (77%) had asthma, were reviewed retrospectively. Asthma preceded the diagnosis of ICEP in 26 patients, was contemporaneous in eight patients, and developed 17±12 months after ICEP in seven patients. Presentation of ICEP was similar in asthmatics and nonasthmatics with the exception of a higher level of total immunoglobulin E in the former group. Patients with asthma at the time of diagnosis of ICEP were more likely to remain free of relapse of ICEP (56 versus 23%) and had a lower number of relapses per year of follow-up (median 0 versus 0.24). Moreover, they were treated more frequently with long-term inhaled corticosteroids (88 versus 31%) at last follow-up. Asthma got worse after the diagnosis of ICEP and frequently required long-term oral corticosteroids. To conclude, among patients with idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, asthmatics have a lower frequency of relapse than nonasthmatics, possibly because of a higher use of inhaled corticosteroids. The occurrence of idiopathic chronic eosinophilic pneumonia in asthmatics is often associated with the development of severe asthma. This study was supported by grant HCL-PHRC 93-97.005 from Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité, Paris, France. ER -