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OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the whole world and caused the death of more than 6 million people. The disease has been observed to have a more severe course in patients with chronic lung diseases. There are limited data regarding COVID-19 in patients with bronchiectasis. The aim of this article is to investigate the course of COVID-19 and factors affecting the clinical outcome in patients with bronchiectasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted using the Turkish Adult Bronchiectasis Database (TEBVEB) to which 25 centers in Türkiye contributed between March 2019 and January 2022. The database consisted of 1035 patients, and COVID-19-related data were recorded for 606 patients. RESULTS: One hundred nineteen (19.6%) of the bronchiectasis patients (64 female, mean age 57.3 ± 13.9) had COVID-19. Patients with bronchiectasis who developed COVID-19 more frequently had other comorbidities (P = .034). They also more frequently had cystic bronchiectasis (P = .009) and their Bronchiectasis Severity Index was significantly higher (P = .019). Eighty-two (68.9%) of the patients who had COVID-19 were followed up in the outpatient clinic, 27 (22.7%) in the inpatient ward and 10 (8.4%) patients in the intensive care unit. There tended to be a higher percentage of males among patients admitted to the hospital (P = .073); similarly, the mean age of the patients admitted to the hospital was also higher (60.8 vs 55.8 years for the outpatients), but these differences did not reach statistical significance (P = .071). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study showed that severe bronchiectasis, presence of cystic bronchiectasis and worse Bronchiectasis Severity Index are associated with the development of COVID-19, but not with the severity of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: The choice of treatment according to the inflammation type in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) has been of recent interest. This study investigated the role of novel biomarkers, hospital outcomes, and readmission rates in the first month in patients with eosinophilic or neutrophilic AECOPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study in a Chest Teaching Hospital with hospitalized AECOPD patients. Subjects' characteristics, hemogram results, C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/ lymphocyte ratio (PLR), platelet/mean platelet volume (PLT/MPV), length of hospital stay, mortality, and steroid use were recorded. Eosinophilic AECOPD defined as peripheral blood eosinophilia (PBE) was >2% and neutrophilic AECOPD as PBE <2%. Readmission within 28 days of discharge was recorded. RESULTS: Of 2727(31.5% females) patients, eosinophilic AECOPD was found in 510 (18.7%) patients. Leucocytes, CRP NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in neutrophilic AECOPD than in eosinophilic AECOPD (p<0.001). Steroid use and mortality rate were 45% and 0.6% in eosinophilic AECOPD and 71%, and 1.4% in neutrophilic AECOPD, respectively (p=0.001, p=0.19). Age >75 years, albumin <2.5 g/dL, CRP >50 mg/dL, and PLT/MPV <20x103 were found to be risks factors for hospital mortality (p<0.05 each). Readmission rates within 28 days of discharge were 5% (n=136), and this rate was higher in eosinophilic AECOPD patients not taking steroids (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: NLR, PLR, and CRP levels were higher in neutrophilic AECOPD compared with eosinophilic AECOPD. These markers decreased with treatment in neutrophilic AECOPD. A PLT/MPV ratio of <20x103 resulted in an increased mortality rate. Thus, appropriate steroid therapy may reduce readmission rates in the first 28 days after discharge in eosinophilic AECOPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]