Clinical analysis of the "small plateau" sign on the flow-volume curve followed by deep learning automated recognition.

BACKGROUND: Small plateau (SP) on the flow-volume curve was found in parts of patients with suspected asthma or upper airway abnormalities, but it lacks clear scientific proof. Therefore, we aimed to characterize its clinical features. METHODS: We involved patients by reviewing the bronchoprovocation test (BPT) and bronchodilator test (BDT) completed between October 2017 and October 2020 to assess the characteristics of the sign. Patients who underwent laryngoscopy were assigned to perform spirometry to analyze the relationship of the sign and upper airway abnormalities. SP-Network was developed to recognition of the sign using flow-volume curves. RESULTS: Of 13,661 BPTs and 8,168 BDTs completed, we labeled 2,123 (15.5%) and 219 (2.7%) patients with the sign, respectively. Among them, there were 1,782 (83.9%) with the negative-BPT and 194 (88.6%) with the negative-BDT. Patients with SP sign had higher median FVC and FEV1% predicted (both P < .0001). Of 48 patients (16 with and 32 without the sign) who performed laryngoscopy and spirometry, the rate of laryngoscopy-diagnosis upper airway abnormalities in patients with the sign (63%) was higher than those without the sign (31%) (P = 0.038). SP-Network achieved an accuracy of 95.2% in the task of automatic recognition of the sign. CONCLUSIONS: SP sign is featured on the flow-volume curve and recognized by the SP-Network model. Patients with the sign are less likely to have airway hyperresponsiveness, automatic visualizing of this sign is helpful for primary care centers where BPT cannot available.

Evaluation of bronchial challenge test results for use in assessment of paediatric eczema: a retrospective series.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, and allergic rhinitis are associated diseases involved in the atopic march. The bronchial challenge test (BCT) is a tool that evaluates airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with asthma. This study aimed to evaluate whether a positive BCT result is useful in assessment of paediatric AD. METHODS: This retrospective case series included 284 patients with AD who had BCT results. Clinical information and laboratory parameters were reviewed, including AD severity (using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis [SCORAD]), skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss. RESULTS: Of the 284 patients who had BCT, 106 had positive BCT results and 178 had negative BCT results. A positive BCT result was associated with a history of asthma (P<0.0005), sibling with asthma (P=0.048), serum immunoglobulin E (P=0.045), eosinophil count (P=0.017), and sensitisation to food allergens in the skin prick test (P=0.027). There was no association between a positive BCT result and personal allergic rhinitis, parental atopy, sibling allergic rhinitis or AD, skin prick response to dust mites, objective SCORAD score, skin hydration, transepidermal water loss, exposure to smoking, incense burning, cat or dog ownership, or AD treatment aspects (eg, food avoidance and traditional Chinese medicine). Logistic regression showed significant associations of a positive BCT result with a history of asthma (adjusted odds ratio=4.05; 95% confidence interval=1.92-8.55; P<0.0005) and sibling atopy (adjusted odds ratio=2.25; 95% confidence interval=1.03-4.92; P=0.042). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with paediatric AD, a positive BCT result was independently and positively associated with personal history of asthma and sibling history of atopy, but not with any other clinical parameters.

Identification of late asthmatic reactions following specific inhalation challenge.

Specific inhalation challenge (SIC) is the reference standard for the diagnosis of occupational asthma. Current guidelines for identifying late asthmatic reactions are not evidence based. OBJECTIVES: To identify the fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) required following SIC to exceed the 95% CI for control days, factors which influence this and to show how this can be applied in routine practice using a statistical method based on the pooled SD for FEV1 from three control days. METHODS: Fifty consecutive workers being investigated for occupational asthma were asked to self-record FEV1 hourly for 2 days before admission for SIC. These 2 days were added to the in-hospital control day to calculate the pooled SD and 95% CI. RESULTS: 45/50 kept adequate measurements. The pooled 95% CI was 385 mL (SD 126), or 14.2% (SD 6.2) of the baseline FEV1, but was unrelated to the baseline FEV1 (r=0.06, p=0.68), or gender, atopy, smoking, non-specific reactivity or treatment before or during SIC. Thirteen workers had a late asthmatic reaction with ≥2 consecutive FEV1 measurements below the 95% CI for pooled control days, 4/13 had <15% and 9/13 >15% late fall from baseline. The four workers with ≥2 values below the 95% CI all had independent evidence of occupational asthma. CONCLUSION: The pooled SD method for defining late asthmatic reactions has scientific validity, accounts for interpatient spirometric variability and diurnal variation and can identify clinically relevant late asthmatic reactions from smaller exposures. For baseline FEV1 <2.5 L, a 15% fall is within the 95% CI.

The blocking effect of essential controller medications during aspirin challenges in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.

BACKGROUND: The blocking effect of controller medications for asthma could have an effect on the outcome of aspirin challenges in patients suspected of having aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether there was any blocking effect of long-acting beta2-agonists, systemic corticosteroids, and/or inhaled corticosteroids alone or as co-therapy with leukotriene modifier drugs (LTMDs). METHODS: Between 1981 and 2004, 678 patients with suspected AERD were admitted for aspirin challenge and desensitization. All patients had asthma, chronic sinusitis, nasal polyposis, and at least 1 historical reaction to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Asthma controller medications taken during aspirin challenge were recorded and analyzed with respect to their potential effects on 4 possible outcomes of aspirin challenge, namely, naso-ocular reaction, lower airway reaction, classic upper and lower airway reaction, or a negative challenge result. RESULTS: When compared with AERD patients who received no controller medications, the combined use of LTMDs, inhaled corticosteroids, and long-acting beta2-agonists led to a statistically significant change in aspirin challenge outcomes (P = .009), mainly shifting the reaction from a classic upper and lower respiratory tract reaction to naso-ocular reactions only. LTMDs appeared to have the strongest effect (P < .001) in blocking lower respiratory tract reactions. Systemic corticosteroids did not have the same effects. Blocking of both upper and lower respiratory tract reactions to aspirin as a result of taking controller medications did not occur. CONCLUSION: Controller medications are frequently needed to stabilize airways of patients with AERD. LTMDs alone or in combination with other controllers blocked lower respiratory tract reactions during aspirin challenge in some patients with AERD but did not change the overall rate of positive aspirin challenge results and did not lead to false-negative challenges.

Use of specific inhalation challenge in the evaluation of workers at risk for occupational asthma: a survey of pulmonary, allergy, and occupational medicine residency training programs in the United States and Canada.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To document the current practice of occupational asthma (OA) diagnosis and use of specific inhalation challenge (SIC). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A survey evaluating the current practice of SIC was mailed to 259 residency training programs in adult pulmonary diseases, allergy and immunology, and occupational medicine accredited in the United States and Canada during the year 2000. RESULTS: Forty-six percent (123 of 259 programs) participated. Ninety-two programs reported that patients with OA were seen during the previous year, 15 programs reported that SIC had been performed, and 10 programs reported that patients had been referred to other sites for SIC. A total of 259 patients underwent SIC. No unexpected adverse reactions were reported. Forty-one programs reported that they had been willing to undertake SIC but were unable to do so. The most common barriers cited were lack of availability of SIC within the evaluating institution, inability to locate a site for referral, concerns about reimbursement, and lack of an appropriate diagnostic reagent for use in SIC. Seventy-four programs indicated that SIC was useful, and 34 programs included training in the use of SIC was part of the residency curriculum. CONCLUSION: Although SIC is considered the "gold standard" for objective documentation of OA, the test is performed in only a few institutions in the United States and Canada. Many institutions indicate that SIC is not available, even when desired for patient management. Only a minority of participating residency training programs include SIC as a formal part of the training curriculum.

Baker's asthma: still among the most frequent occupational respiratory disorders.

BACKGROUND: Baker's asthma and rhinitis are among the most frequent occupational respiratory disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of work-related symptoms and the clinical relevance of sensitization to allergens in screened and symptomatic bakers. METHODS: Eighty-nine bakers participating in a screening study and 104 bakers filing a claim for compensation were examined with regard to occupational and clinical case history, lung function parameters, and sensitization to bakery allergens by skin prick tests, specific IgE analyses, and inhalative challenge tests. RESULTS: A high prevalence of respiratory disorders, abnormal lung function parameters, and sensitization to bakery allergens exists. Most frequently, bakers with workplace-related respiratory symptoms showed sensitization to wheat flour (64%), rye flour (52%), soy bean flour (25%), and alpha-amylase (21%). The correlation between these sensitizations and asthma case history and inhalative challenge test responses was significant. However, approximately 29% of the bakers with respiratory symptoms showed no sensitization to these bakery allergens, whereas 32% of the sensitized bakers in the screening group had no workplace-related symptoms. Atopic status defined by skin prick test sensitization to common allergens or elevated total IgE levels was found to be a risk factor for the development of sensitization to bakery allergens and respiratory symptoms. On the other hand, there is evidence for an increased frequency of elevated total IgE as the result of occupational allergen exposure because respective findings were observed in bakers without symptoms. CONCLUSION: Sensitization to bakery allergens seems to be the main cause of baker's asthma and rhinitis but cannot explain the asthma case history in each case. Further methods are required to objectively assume irritative pathomechanisms. Our findings indicate the necessity for an improved primary prevention of exposure to inhalative noxae in bakeries.

Un índice del tamaño pulmonar mejora la predicción de valores de referencia de PC20 metacolina en un grupo de niños y adultos normales chilenos / A index of lung volume improves the prediction of reference values of methacholine PC20 in normal chilean children and adults

Con el propósito de examinar la validez del límite inferior de lo normal de 8 mg/ml para la PC20 metacolina en individuos normales chilenos, estudiamos 79 sujetos, 39 hombres y 40 mujeres, con edades entre 6 y 75 años. Se excluyeron los sujetos con condiciones capaces de alterar la respuesta a metacolina. En todos se efectuó una espirometría y una prueba de provocación con metacolina hasta llegar a concentraciones de 256 mg/ml, obtener un plateau o una caída del VEF, de 40 por ciento o más respecto del valor basal La PC20 se calculó por interpelación. También se efectuó un prick test con 9 alergenos comunes, clasificando como atópicos a aquellos que reaccionaron con uno o más alergenos. Se obtuvo PC20 en 35 individuos (44 por ciento), 11 de los cuales (13,9 por ciento) presentaron PC20 por debajo de 8 mg/ml. Hubo mayor prevalencia de PC20 en mujeres que en hombres (51,1 por ciento vs 31,6 por ciento, p < 0,05). No hubo diferencias de PC20 entre atópicos y no atópicos. Los individuos en los que se obtuvo PC20 fueron signifícativamente menores (25,6 ñ 18,8 vs 41,4 ñ 18,6 años, p < 0,01) y tuvieron menores valores absolutos de CVF (3.232 ñ 1.017 vs 4.038 ñ 1.245 ml, p <.0,025) y VEF, (2.793 ñ 920 vs 3.405 ñ 1.073 ml, p < 0,05). El log PC20 se correlacionó significativamente con CVF, VEF, y talla. En una correlación múltiple paso a paso sólo CVF entró al modelo de predicción de PC20. Los niños más pequeños e individuos mayores, con menores CVF, tuvieron PC20 más bajas. Concluimos que el límite inferior de lo normal de 8 mg/ml es inadecuado para los individuos con CVF pequeña, independientemente de la edad, por lo que una predicción de PC20 que considere este factor mejorará la sensibilidad y la especificidad en el diagnóstico de hiperreactividad bronquial

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 in asthma. Measurement in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

Airway wall remodeling is an established pathological feature in asthma. Its causes are not well understood, but one mediator of potential relevance is transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1). We have measured levels of immunoreactive TGF-beta 1 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from clinically stable atopic asthmatics and healthy control subjects. We have also examined the influence of allergen exposure on TGF-beta 1 release in the airways using a segmental bronchoprovocation model, with BAL performed at two time points following endobronchial allergen and sham saline challenges. Basal concentrations of TGF-beta 1 were significantly higher in asthmatics than control subjects (median 8.0 versus 5.5 pg/ml, p = 0.027). Following segmental bronchoprovocation, concentrations of TGF-beta 1 at the allergen- and saline-challenged sites were not significantly different after 10 min, (31.3 versus 25.0 pg/ml, p = 0.78), but after 24 h there were significantly higher TGF-beta 1 concentrations at the allergen-challenged sites (46.0 versus 21.5 pg/ml, p = 0.017). We conclude that basal TGF-beta 1 levels in the airways are elevated in atopic asthma and that these levels increase further in response to allergen exposure. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that TGF-beta 1 is implicated in airway wall remodeling in asthma.

Variation in bronchial responsiveness in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS).

Attempts to compare bronchial responsiveness between populations have been hampered by between-study differences in the pharmacological agent of provocation, the method of administration and the summary statistic employed. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey used methacholine challenge delivered by Mefar dosimeter according to a standardized protocol used in 35 centres in 16 countries. Data were obtained from 13,161 men and women, aged 20-44 yrs at the start of the study. The dose of methacholine producing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (PD20) and the regression coefficient of percentage decline in FEV1 with log dose, were calculated ("slope", after transformation), with and without calibration of nebulizers by weight and adjustment for nonresponse bias. Standardization for baseline lung function and variation in smoking prevalence was applied to slope. Results were robust to whichever summary measure was used, and to the various adjustments. Responsiveness was low in Iceland and Switzerland, and in most centres in Sweden, Italy and Spain, and high in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Britain, France, Denmark and Germany. Bronchial responsiveness varies considerably in Europe, and high levels are not confined to the English-speaking world.

Airway obstruction in boilermakers exposed to fuel oil ash. A prospective investigation.

We prospectively investigated the lower airway response in boilermakers overhauling an oil-powered boiler. We studied 26 male boilermakers with a mean age (SD) of 43.3 (8.6) yr. Pre-exposure spirometry and methacholine challenge tests were performed before beginning the boiler overhaul; postexposure tests were performed after approximately 4 wk of work on the boiler. Exposure to particulates with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 microns and smaller (PM10) and respirable vanadium dust were estimated using daily work diaries and a personal sampling device for respirable particles. Using these estimates, we calculated average and peak exposure between pre- and postexposure tests for each subject. The average PM10 concentration ranged from 1.44 to 6.69 mg/m3, with a mean (SD) of 3.22 (1.42) mg/m3; the average vanadium concentration ranged from 2.2 to 31.3, with a mean (SD) of 12.2 (9.1) micrograms/m3. The mean postexposure fall in FEV1 was 140 +/- 160 ml (p < 0.01); 24 of 26 subjects had a drop in FEV1. For each subject, the adjusted change in FEV1 (delta FEV1.adj) was calculated by dividing the change in FEV1 by the average of the pre- and postexposure FEV1 values. The delta FEV1.adj was regressed, controlling age and current smoking status, on average and peak exposure to both PM10 and vanadium. There was a dose-response relationship between average and peak PM10 exposure and delta FEV1.adj: beta = -0.91% per mg/m3, p = 0.08 and beta = -1.03% per mg/m3, p = 0.03, respectively. However, there was no relationship between delta FEV1.adj and respirable vanadium dust concentration. Furthermore, there was no postexposure change in nonspecific airway responsiveness. In summary, we found a significant fall in FEV1 and a dose-response relationship between delta FEV1.adj and average and peak PM10 exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of adenosine 5'-monophosphate and methacholine for the differentiation of asthma from chronic airway diseases with the use of the auscultative method in very young children.

Methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate bronchial challenges were performed in 54 young children--39 with asthma and 15 with other chronic airway diseases (CADs), with the use of the auscultative method. Children with asthma were sensitive to both methacholine and adenosine; children with CAD responded only to methacholine. We conclude that bronchial challenge with adenosine can help differentiate asthma from CAD in young children.

Modulación de la hiperreactividad bronquial en el asma en relación con los recursos y tiempos terapéuticos / Modulation of the bronchial hyperreactivity in the asthma in relation with the therapeutic resort and time

Se publican ciertos lineamientos que deben seguirse para la regulación y modulación de la reactividad bronquial. Se hace hincapié en la fase inflamatoria del asma que está relacionada con la mayor morbimortalidad. Los estímulos que inducen asma bronquial se dividen en dos clases: 1) inespecíficos no alérgicos, que generan respuestas con poco o ningún incemento de la hiperreactividad bronquial, y 2) estímulos específicos, capaces de activar la fase celular de la inflamación de las vías aéreas. La fase inflamatoria del asma bronquial provoca edema e hipersecreción mucosa que, sumadas a la contracción del músculo liso bronquial, se traducen clínicamente por insuficiencia ventilatoria obstructiva y por incremento de la hiperreactividad bronquial. Este aumento de la reactividad puede perdurar un tiempo prolongado si no se actúa en forma adecuada y oportuna. La medicación con corticosteroides es indicación absoluta para la resolución de esta fase. Un oportuno tratamiento con corticosteroides, en una crisis de asma bronquial con componente inflamatorio, es una medida estratégica clave en esta afección. Fueron estudiados 12 pacientes de ambos sexos entre 10 y 60 años, con estados de asma latente y prolongada. Estos pacientes llegaron a la consulta con enfoques terapéuticos erróneos. Se evaluó la función pulmonar, en el momento de la consulta, con prueba de provocación bronquial con ejercicio y sin ella. Luego de lograrse la estabilización clínica y de la realización de un tratamiento adecuado, volvió a evaluarse a los 30 días la función pulmonar con prueba de provocación bronquial y sin ella. Los resultados indicaron que la reactividad bronquial es modulable cuando los recursos terapéuticos son aplicados en forma adecuada y acorde con los tiempos terapéuticos

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness can improve while spirometry plateaus two to three years after repeated exposure to chlorine causing respiratory symptoms.

Repeated exposure to chlorine in pulp mills and paper can induce persistent asthma-like symptoms such as bronchial hyperresponsiveness and variable changes in airway caliber. The long-term time course of bronchial hyperresponsiveness has not been examined. We studied 20 of 29 subjects (69% participation rate) who demonstrated bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine when they were first assessed, 18 to 24 mo after repeatedly inhaling "puffs" of high concentrations of chlorine in a paper mill over a 3-mo period. Each subject answered a respiratory questionnaire and underwent spirometry and a methacholine inhalation test 12 mo after the initial survey, 30 to 36 mo after the chlorine inhalations. Three subjects required inhaled steroids at the time of the initial survey and three at the time of the second, including two who carried on using these preparations. Only one subject changed smoking habits. There were no significant overall changes in FEV1 on the two occasions, nine subjects having a FEV1 < 80% on the first occasion and eight on the second. Six of the 18 subjects (33%) who underwent a methacholine inhalation test on both occasions had significantly improved PC20 results, including five for whom the PC20 value was within the normal range. All six subjects had normal FEV1 values on both assessments. Although changes in spirometry induced by repeated exposure to chlorine seem to persist, bronchial hyperresponsiveness can improve significantly in those with normal airway caliber. This suggests that less pronounced bronchial alterations induced by repeated exposures to chlorine may be reversible.

Nonspecific and specific bronchial responsiveness in occupational asthma caused by platinum salts after allergen avoidance.

Most data about the course of occupational asthma after removal from exposure are based upon the longitudinal assessment of employees exposed to substances inducing late asthmatic reactions in bronchial provocation tests. It was the aim of this study to describe the course of immediate-type occupational asthma after allergen avoidance. Twenty-four platinum refinery workers were examined on two occasions. All subjects reported work-related asthma while they worked in the refinery department. The diagnosis of platinum salt asthma was established by a positive bronchial challenge test with hexachloroplatinic acid in each case. Eleven of the 24 subjects were still exposed to platinum salts at the time of the first investigation, but all had been removed from exposure for 19 mo (1 to 77) on the second investigation. Asthma was still reported by 17 subjects, and all but two showed bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PC50SGaw < 8 mg/ml) on the second investigation. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine, skin reactivity, and bronchial responsiveness to platinum salt, as well as FEV1, did not change between assessments. Total serum IgE decreased from 126 to 103 U/ml (p < 0.005). Analysis of variance showed no association of the individual differences in PC50 (methacholine) between both investigations with smoking, time from the onset of symptoms to removal, time from removal to the first or second investigation, skin sensitization to environmental allergens, or total IgE. We conclude that both nonspecific and specific bronchial responsiveness do not decrease after removal from exposure in immediate-type asthma caused by platinum salts.

Gender difference in airway hyperresponsiveness in smokers with mild COPD. The Lung Health Study.

Methacholine bronchoprovocation challenge testing was successfully completed in 5,662 participants (3,556 men and 2,106 women) at the time they were randomized into the Lung Health Study, a multicenter trial designed to evaluate early intervention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All participants were smokers between the ages of 35 and 60 yr who had mild COPD. The male:female prevalence of a positive challenge (PC20FEV1) was 25%:48% and 63%:87% at a PC20FEV1 of < or = 5 mg/ml (AHR5) and < or = 25 mg/ml (AHR25), respectively. This analysis explores these marked gender differences in airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Relative risks (RR) for predictors of AHR and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using semiparametric Cox proportional-hazards models. The initial model controlled for age, gender, smoking history, height, and weight. The RR (95% CI) for female gender was 1.75 (1.60, 1.92). When the measured baseline FEV1 was added to the model as a surrogate for airway caliber, the RR for female gender decreased to 1.06 (0.96, 1.18). Thus, in this population of middle-aged smokers with mild COPD, the high prevalence of AHR appears to be associated with a decrease in airway caliber. The higher prevalence of AHR noted in women is due to their having a smaller airway caliber than their male counterparts.

Soluble intracellular adhesion molecule 1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of allergic subjects following segmental antigen challenge.

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid during allergic airway inflammation to those in the vascular compartment and to cellular components in the BAL fluids. A group of 11 allergic subjects underwent initial bronchoscopy during which a control BAL was performed and normal saline (NS) and specific antigen (Ag) were administered to two sublobar segments. A second bronchoscopy was performed 17 to 21 h later, and the NS and Ag segments were lavaged. Blood was drawn before each bronchoscopic procedure. The mean concentration of sICAM-1 in BAL fluid from NS-challenged segments was 59.2 +/- 7.6 ng/ml and was not different from that in unchallenged segments (51.5 +/- 5.6 ng/ml). In BAL fluid from Ag-challenged segments, mean concentrations of sICAM-1 increased significantly to 97.5 +/- 12.5 ng/ml. Segmental antigen challenge was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in sICAM-1 concentrations in serum. The concentrations of sICAM-1 in BAL fluid after antigen challenge exceeded levels that could be accounted for by passive transudation from the circulation, based upon the magnitude of increases in BAL albumin concentrations. The levels of sICAM-1 in BAL from Ag-challenged segments were correlated significantly with the total white cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and eosinophil counts in BAL fluids. These results are supportive of the notion that the local release of sICAM-1 may play a role in allergen-induced inflammatory processes in the airways.

Acciones de diversos fármacos sobre la hiperreactividad bronquial y el asma: consideraciones fisiopatogénicas y terapéuticas / Actions of different drugs on the bronchial hyperreactivity and the asthma: considerations physiopathogenic and therapy

En 48 pacientes asmáticos atópicos leves o moderados se investigó la respuesta a diversos fármacos. Luego de una semana de tratamiento con dipropionato de beclometasona (BECLO) o terfenadina (TER) o cetirizina (CET) o cromoglicato disódico (CGDS) o nedocromil sódico (NED), se evaluó: a)la evolución espirográfica tomando como parámetros VEF y FM antes y después de cada uno de los tratamientos. En el cotejo de los resultados obtenidos con cada fármaco se encontró que, tomando los promedios de ambos parámetros, el CGDDS, con el 50 por ciento, es el fármaco que mejor actua; luego siguen en orden decreciente, TER 38 por ciento, BECLO 35 por ciento, CET 29 por ciento y NED 7 por ciento. Las diferencias son estadísticamente significativas entre CGDS vs. NED, p<0,05. b) La capacidad de protección de cada uno de esos fármacos sobre la hiperreactividad bronquial con aire frío (HRB). Aquí el orden de protección para la broncoobstrucción, si se toman ambos parámetros(VEF y FM) es para la CET, del 65 por ciento, BECLO 50 por ciento, CGDS 46 por ciento y TER 8 por ciento. Si en lugar de considerar los promedios para ambos parámetros, se toma el número de evaluaciones espirográficas que son protegidas más del 10 por ciento ante la estimulación con aire frío, se observa que a la CET le corresponde el 90 por ciento de protección, al CGDS al 61,5 por ciento, a la BECLO el 60 por ciento a la TER el 28,6 por ciento y al NED el 12.5 por ciento. Estadísdicamente la CET es superior a TER y NED (P<0,02) y CGDS también vs. TER y NED p<0,02. Se concluye que si bien la HRB es una expresión del asma, en ésta se suma a la inflamación basal y broncoobstrucción, donde la histamina tiene un papel más importante que en las respuestas de HRB. Y que en la HRB por aire frío la acción antiinflamatoria de los fármacos u otras acciones, como anti PAF, puedan ofrecer mejores resultados, por lo que habría que elaborar criterios terapéuticos individuales de acuerdo con la mejor acción preventiva para cada una de las situaciones

Airway effects of local challenge with hypertonic saline in exercise-induced asthma.

Hypertonicity of airway lining fluid has been suggested as the stimulus for bronchoconstriction in exercise-induced asthma. We explored the airway effects of delivering a direct hypertonic stimulus to asthmatic airways via a fiberoptic bronchoscope, comparing hypertonic saline challenge by direct instillation with local aerosol delivery. A group of 18 asthmatic subjects responsive to inhaled hypertonic saline with a history of EIA were studied; the first 9 subjects received local challenge with hypertonic saline by direct instillation, and the next 9 subjects were challenged by local aerosol delivery. A control challenge with isotonic saline by either instillation or aerosol was performed at a same bronchoscopy. Local challenge with hypertonic saline by aerosol delivery was found to be more effective in inducing local bronchoconstriction (8 of 9 subjects) than instillation (2 of 6 subjects). Paired BAL fluid samples and bronchial biopsies were obtained in total of 11 and 9 subjects, respectively. Local challenge with hypertonic saline either by instillation or aerosol produced no significant change in histamine, tryptase, or PGD2 levels in BAL fluid or mast cell numbers and degranulation in bronchial biopsies. A significant correlation was observed between histamine levels in BAL fluid and airway responsiveness to inhaled hypertonic saline (rs = -0.59, p < 0.05). Bronchial biopsies showed evidence of extensive epithelial damage; however, this was not related to airway responsiveness to inhaled hypertonic saline.