RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study the success rate and reproducibility of sputum induction (SI) in healthy subjects (HS) and asthma patients (AP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 130 HSs/APs were recruited for early-phase studies to evaluate sputum biomarkers. SI and sample processing were performed according to standard protocols. RESULTS: Adequate samples were obtained from 46% of HSs and 80% of APs. There was no difference between the groups with adequate and nonadequate samples. Differences between HS and AP groups were minor. Reproducibility was 56.0% in HSs and 90.6% in APs. CONCLUSION: Sputum induction for biomarker assessment in early drug development is feasible in HSs and APs, but only modestly reproducible in HSs. The technique is complex and time consuming.â©.