Abstract: ObjectiveTo study the clinical features and airway inflammation in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) complicated by bronchiectasis or not showed on lung HRCT.Methods Fifty-one patients (male 27, female 24) with AECOPD from the outpatient clinic and the respiratory ward were consecutively enrolled from November 1st 2011 to February 29 2012. According to Smith’s standard, each lobe of the lung on the CT scans was interpreted for the presence and grade of bronchiectasis by 2 radiologists for each patient performed by HRCT . Patients with a bronchiectasis score ≥1.5 were defined as the bronchiectasis group, while those with a score of 0-1 as the non-bronchiectasis group. The clinical data, pulmonary function tests and the cell counting and cytokines in the sputum were compared, and the association of bronchiectasis with inflammatory markers and pulmonary functions was analyzed.Results HRCT bronchiectasis was present in 17 (17/51, 33.3%) patients. There were no significant differences in age(t=0.911,P=0.367), body mass index(t=0.507,P=0.615), smoking history(χ²=－0.916,P=0.360),disease history(t=－0.768,P=0.442)and the frequency of exacerbations(χ²=1.138,P=0.286). The total number of cell count of the induced sputum is 5420(1250～13240)×10⁶/L in bronchiectasis group and 4880(3180～18140)×10⁶/L in the non-bronchiectasis group(Z=－0.52,P=0.603), neutrophils is 3490(820～8870)×10⁶/L in bronchiectasis group and 2200(1020～12160)×10⁶/L in non-bronchiectasis group(Z=－0.200,P=0.842), lymphocytes is(1200±860)×10⁶/L in bronchiectasis group and (1430±1250)×10⁶/L in non-bronchiectasis group(t=0.715,P=0.478),and there were no significant differences in the 2 groups. Patients with bronchiectasis[760.5(400.4,932.1) pg/ml] had a higher level of sputum IL-8 than that in the non-bronchiectasis group[396.3(12.7,964.2) pg/ml] (Z=－2.278,P=0.023), and they had more severe airway obstruction; The value of FEV₁% predicted value and FEV₁/FVC was (47.5±11.8)% and (51.3±12.1)% respectively in the bronchiectasis group, and the value of FEV₁% predicted value and FEV₁/FVC was (55.9±14.7)% and (58.1±10.3) % respectively in non-bronchiectasis group. The differences were significant statistically( t=2.049、2.111,P=0.046、0.040). More patients in the bronchiectasis group(52.9%,9/17) had yellow sputum as compared to the non-bronchiectasis group(17.6%, 6/34) (χ²=6.8,P=0.009).Conclusion This study shows that COPD patients with bronchiectasis on lung HRCT has more severe airway obstruction and increased level of sputum IL-8.