To analyze the changes in serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and neutrophil percentage (NEU%) in patients with bronchiectasis and their relationship with disease severity.

All of 102 patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the hospital from January 2019 to May 2021 were selected as the research subjects. The disease severity was assessed by Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) at admission, thus the patients were divided into mild, moderate and severe groups. The changes in serum TNF-α, IL-6 and NEU% levels at admission and at discharge were recorded in the three groups, and the correlation between BSI index and serum TNF-α, IL-6 and NEU% levels at admission was evaluated. At 1 year of follow-up after discharge, the readmission status of patients with acute recurrence was recorded, and the changes in serum TNF-α, IL-6, and NEU% were compared between patients with recurrence and patients without recurrence.

There were no deaths during hospitalization in the three groups. At admission, the levels of serum TNF-α(59.32±6.99)pg/ml, IL-6(63.44±8.21)pg/ml and NEU%(81.35±4.05)% were higher in severe group than those in moderate TNF-α(44.28±6.27)pg/ml, IL-6(50.09±6.27)pg/ml and NEU%(72.19±5.17)% and mild groups TNF-α(35.07±4.96)pg/ml, IL-6(39.45±7.51)pg/ml and NEU%(66.27±3.95)% (P<0.05). The levels of serum TNF-α[(29.07±5.48)vs. (27.69±5.73)vs.( 26.32±5.82)] pg/ml, IL-6[(34.08±7.30)vs. (32.69±5.94)vs. (30.85±6.12)]pg/ml and NEU%[(57.24±3.91)vs. (56.55±3.96)vs. (54.93±4.91)]% in the three groups at discharge were reduced compared with those at admission (P<0.05), but there were no statistical differences among the three groups at discharge (P>0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that BSI index at admission was significantly positively correlated with serum TNF-α, IL-6 and NEU% levels in patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis (r=0.612, 0.571, 0.734, P<0.05). During 1-year follow-up after discharge, 14 patients were lost to follow-up, with a loss-to-follow-up rate of 13.73%. Among the 88 patients, there were 45 cases (51.14%) of recurrence, including 21 cases with 2 to 3 recurrences during 1 year. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and NEU% in recurrent patients at discharge were higher than those in non-recurrent patients (P<0.05), and the above indicators in recurrent patients were significantly higher at readmission than at discharge (P<0.05).

TNF-α, IL-6 and NEU% are involved in the occurrence and development of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis, and are beneficial for evaluating the prognosis and recurrence of patients.