Case series demonstrating the presence of protozoa in the sputum of a proportion of respiratory patients

A Spanish study has demonstrated the presence of protozoa in the sputum of respiratory patients admitted to hospital with acute exacerbations of respiratory disease. These findings have not previously been replicated elsewhere in the world. Sputum was obtained from two case series of patients; firstly inpatients with an acute exacerbations of respiratory symptoms, and the other consisting mainly of chronic outpatients; both at Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, South Wales. Sputum, stained using the Papanicolaou method, was examined under a microscope using previously published criteria to determine the presence of protozoa. In the first series of ten inpatients, five patients (50%; 95% CI 24 – 76%) had protozoa in their sputum. In the second series of 17 generally less acute patients, one clearly had protozoa and two possibly had protozoa in their sputum. Protozoa may have an important pathogenic role in asthma which merits further examination.