Increases in airway responsiveness to histamine precede allergen-induced late asthmatic responses

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1988 Nov;82(5 Pt 1):764-70. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(88)90077-2.

Abstract

Changes in airway responsiveness to histamine after allergen inhalation challenge were studied in 14 nonsmoking atopic adult subjects with asthma. Inhalation challenges with allergen and with phosphate-buffered saline (control challenge) were performed single blind in random order, with an interval of 14 days. The development of a late asthmatic response was accompanied by an increase in airway histamine responsiveness that was significant when it was compared with the airway histamine responsiveness after the control challenge at 3 hours (p less than 0.01), 24 hours (p less than 0.01), and 48 hours (p less than 0.02), with recovery at 2 weeks after allergen inhalation. The 3-hour changes in airway responsiveness occurred independently of changes in airway caliber and correlated with the magnitude of the subsequent late response (r = 0.86; p less than 0.001). These results suggest that the tissue events (possibly airway inflammation) that underlie the late asthmatic response may occur before this response becomes clinically apparent.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Allergens*
  • Asthma / diagnosis*
  • Asthma / physiopathology
  • Bronchial Provocation Tests*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Forced Expiratory Volume*
  • Histamine*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Random Allocation
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Histamine