NONALLERGIC BRONCHIAL HYPEREXCITABILITY IN CHRONIC-BRONCHITIS

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 129  (2) , 216-220
Abstract
Responsiveness to inhaled histamine and methacholine using PC20, the concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was assessed in 28 subjects with chronic bronchitis excluding asthma. Subjects (18) had airway hyperexcitability, as demonstrated by a PC20 < 16 mg/ml. The response to histmaine and methacholine was not significantly different and the correlation coefficient was 0.75. Baseline airway caliber was related to the level of hyperexcitability, as 14 of 14 subjects with a FEV1 to forced vital capacity ratio < 95% pred and/or a forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC < 80% pred, and only 4 of 10 subjects with normal spirometry, had a PC20 < 16 mg/ml (x2 = 15.6, P < 0.001). There was no correlation between blood or sputum eosinophilia, total IgE levels, or atopy and the level of airway hyperexcitability. Spontaneous daily variations of peak expiratory flow rates were significantly (t = 2.43, P < 0.05) more pronounced in subjects with PC20 < 16 mg/ml. Airway hyperexcitability assessed with PC20 is often present in chronic bronchitis and more often so in the presence of airway obstruction.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: