Background:
Although smoking is the main cause of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), previous tuberculosis (TB) infection can also induce the disease. While the management of COPD is mainly performed with anti-inflammatory molecules, inflammatory profile of post tuberculosis obstructive disease is not yet known. The purpose of this study was to compare certain inflammatory cells of post tuberculosis COPD to that of post tobacco COPD.

Methods:
This cross-sectional study conducted at the Yaoundé Jamot hospital consisted of 92 participants comprising 22 post tobacco COPD patients (COPD/tobacco), 24 post tuberculosis COPD (COPD/TB) and 46 healthy individuals constituting the control group. Sputum and blood were collected for cells counts.

Results:
In sputum, the mean count of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes was statistically higher in COPD patients compared to the control group with p-values respectively of 0.0001, 0.0001 and 0.0001. Comparison of the two COPD groups showed that, neutrophils cells count is higher in COPD/tobacco than in COPD/TB patients (p = 0.04). Monocytes and lymphocytes counts were similar between the two groups of patients with COPD with p-value of 0.052 and 0.91respectivelly.
In blood, the rate of CD4 cells was higher in COPD patients compared to controls with a significant p-value of 0.0006. The blood CD8 cell count was not statistically different between COPD patients and the controls group (p = 0.6). Comparing the two COPD groups together, we had a blood CD8 rate higher in COPD/tobacco than COPD/TB (p = 0.0043), and blood CD4 rate were not statistically different between the two COPD groups.

Conclusions:
Neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes are involved both in the COPD/tobacco and COPD/TB, with high levels of sputum neutrophiles and blood CD8 cells in COPD/tobacco patients. In blood TCD8 and CD4 lymphocytes may be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD.