Results
To assess whether ETI therapy affected lower airway inflammation, we identified 16 patients who had bronchoscopy and BAL performed while on ETI therapy. Two individuals were excluded who did not have comparison bronchoscopies performed while not on ETI therapy within five years, and a further 6 were excluded due to pre or post ETI bronchoscopy being performed for suspected bronchopneumonia. The study population consisted of 8 subjects, all white, and was 75% male with an average age of 12.7±5.3 years at the time of the bronchoscopy on ETI therapy. The locations of bronchoalveolar lavage were determined clinically. In 42% of subjects lavage was performed in different lobes in the matched procedures.
BAL markers of neutrophilic inflammation were significantly reduced in the samples obtained from PwCF while on ETI, including both % neutrophils and neutrophil counts (Fig. 1A-B ). While pathogens were recovered from 5 of 8 PwCF not on ETI, no pathogens were recovered from any procedure performed on an individual on ETI (Fig. 1D ).