Do inhaled steriods in COPD do more harm than good? - Comments

In 1958 that I found only 'asthmatics' with eosinophils in their sputum responded to oral steroids (Lancet 1958,2,1245). This enabled selection of steroid responsive cases for the very first trial of inhaled steroids (BMJ 1972,1,585) Monitoring their sputum in subsequent years showed that in some cases the eosinophils gradually disappeared, along with their steroid responsiveness, to be replaced by the macrophages characteristic of COPD.

Interesting but rather concerning results.