Article,
Airway hyperresponsiveness
CHEST, 123 (3, S): 411S-416S (March 2003)45th Annual Thomas L Petty Aspen Lung Conference, ASPEN, COLORADO, JUN 05-08, 2002.
DOI: {10.1378/chest.123.3\_suppl.411S}
Abstract
Airway hyperresponsiveness is a characteristic feature of asthma and
consists of an increased sensitivity of the airways to an inhaled
constrictor agonist, a steeper slope of the dose-response curve, and a
greater maximal response to the agonist. Measurements of airway
responsiveness are useful in making a diagnosis of asthma, particularly
in patients who have symptoms that are consistent with asthma and who
have no evidence of airflow obstruction. These tests can be performed
quickly, safely, and reproducibly. Certain inhaled stimuli, such as
environmental allergens, increase airway inflammation and enhance airway
hyperresponsiveness. These changes in airway hyperresponsiveness are of
much smaller magnitude than those seen when asthmatic patients with
persistent airway hyperresponsiveness are compared to healthy subjects.
They are, however, similar to changes occurring in asthmatic patients
that are associated with worsening asthma control. The mechanisms of the
transient allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness are not likely to
fully explain the underlying mechanisms of the persistent airway
hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic patients.
