Inflammatory and mechanical factors of allergen-induced bronchoconstriction in mild asthma and rhinitis.
Crimi, Emanuele, Manlio Milanese, Susanna Oddera, Carlo Mereu, Giovanni A. Rossi, Annamaria Riccio, G. Walter Canonica, and Vito Brusasco.
Dipartimenti di Scienze Motorie e Riabilitative, Medicina Interna and Oncologia Biologica e Genetica, Università di Genova, 16132 Genova; and Divisione di Pneumologia, Istituto G. Gaslini, 16130 Genova, Italy
APStracts 8:0262A, 2001.
We studied whether different bronchial responses to allergen in asthma and rhinitis are associated with different bronchial inflammation and remodeling or airway mechanics. Nine subjects with mild asthma and eight with rhinitis alone underwent methacholine and allergen inhalation challenges. The latter was preceded and followed by bronchoalveolar lavage and bronchial biopsy. The response to methacholine was positive in all asthmatic but in only two rhinitic subjects. The response to allergen was positive in all asthmatic and most, i.e., five, rhinitic subjects. No significant differences between groups were found in airway inflammatory cells or basement membrane thickness either at baseline or after allergen. The ability of deep inhalation to dilate methacholine-constricted airways was greater in rhinitis than in asthma, but it was progressively reduced in rhinitis during allergen challenge. We conclude that 1) rhinitic subjects may develop similar airway inflammation and remodeling as the asthmatic subjects do and 2) the difference in bronchial response to allergen between asthma and rhinitis is associated with different airway mechanics.
Received 29 November 2000; accepted in final form 9 April 2001
APS Manuscript Number A1129-0.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2001 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 18 June 2001