Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) according to GINA and GOLD is not a single disease and is described by persistent airflow limitation with several features usually associated with asthma and several features usually associated with COPD. Some different protocols were proposed to diagnose ACO, besides those reported in GINA and GOLD guidelines. Despite the discrepancy between all the proposed diagnostic protocols, the diagnosis of ACO is still worthy as it may lead to a more appropriate treatment plan. In Egypt, prevalence of ACO is hardly estimated due to lack of database of patients. Our aim of work was to detect the prevalence of ACO in patients diagnosed as having a chronic airflow limiting disease. In asthma group (75 patients), 53.3% (40 patients) were diagnosed as ACO with 3 statistically significant favoring diagnostic criteria; post-BDR test FEV1/FVC < 70%, longer disease duration, and sputum neutrophilia ≥ 57%. While in COPD group (75 patients), 42.7% (32 patients) were diagnosed as ACO with four statistically significant favoring diagnostic criteria; higher BDR, presence of personal history of either asthma or atopy and sputum eosinophils > 1%. ACO has an underestimated prevalence among those diagnosed with either asthma or COPD. More consensus guidelines are needed to focus on the more effective and the more practical criteria to diagnose such hidden disease.

中文翻译：

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气流受限患者的哮喘患病率-慢性阻塞性肺疾病重叠

根据GINA和GOLD的哮喘-COPD重叠（ACO）并非单一疾病，并且通过持续的气流受限来描述，其特征通常与哮喘有关，而某些特征通常与COPD有关。除了GINA和GOLD指南中报告的方案外，还提出了一些其他诊断ACO的方案。尽管所有建议的诊断方案之间都存在差异，但是ACO的诊断仍然值得，因为它可能会导致制定更合适的治疗方案。在埃及，由于缺乏患者数据库，很难估计ACO的患病率。我们的工作目标是检测诊断为患有慢性气流受限疾病的患者中ACO的患病率。在哮喘组（75例患者）中，有53.3％（40例患者）被诊断为ACO，有3个具有统计学意义的有利诊断标准。BDR后测试FEV1 / FVC <70％，病程更长，痰中性粒细胞≥57％。在COPD组（75例患者）中，有42.7％（32例患者）被诊断为ACO，有四个统计学上显着的有利诊断标准。BDR较高，有哮喘或特应性病史，且痰中嗜酸性粒细胞> 1％。在诊断为哮喘或COPD的人群中，ACO的患病率低估了。需要更多的共识性指南，以专注于更有效，更实用的标准来诊断此类隐患。1％。在诊断为哮喘或COPD的人群中，ACO的患病率低估了。需要更多的共识性指南，以专注于更有效，更实用的标准来诊断此类隐患。1％。在诊断为哮喘或COPD的人群中，ACO的患病率低估了。需要更多的共识性指南，以专注于更有效，更实用的标准来诊断此类隐患。