2.4.1. Basic Laboratory Tests

The complete blood cell count, the plasma concentration of fibrinogen, serum Creactive protein (CRP), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) were measured in fasting blood samples by routine laboratory techniques. Serum and plasma samples were aliquoted and stored at −70 ◦C until analysis. Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, and interferon (INF)-γ in serum and BAL samples were assessed by using commercially available high-sensitivity ELISA assays (eBiosciencea, Vienna, Austria). Periostin (a renowned marker of T2-immune response) was evaluated only in BAL by ELISA (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals, Burlingame, CA, USA). Similarly, citrullinated histone 3 (H3cit), a marker of neutrophil trap formation, was measured in serum, using an ELISA kit (Cayman Chemicals, Ann Arbor, MI, USA). Most BAL cytokine measurements were below the assay threshold (results are not shown in the tables).
