Summary
Eosinophils have recently emerged as having an important role as a biomarker in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As a biomarker the eosinophil may aid to identification of patients at increased risk of deterioration and at the best response to inhaled corticosteroids. In this talk we discuss the eosinophil, review the evidence for eosinophils as a biomarker and postulate identification of mechanisms that may give rise to the underlying pathogenic role of the eosinophil in COPD.
