Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1989 Nov;44(11):948–951. doi: 10.1136/thx.44.11.948

Prevalence of asthma, atopy, and bronchial hyperreactivity in bronchiectasis: a controlled study.

J Pang 1, H S Chan 1, J Y Sung 1
PMCID: PMC462153  PMID: 2595637

Abstract

The prevalence of atopic diseases and bronchial reactivity to histamine and methacholine was determined in 36 patients with bronchiectasis and in 36 control patients matched for age, sex, and smoking history. There was no difference in the prevalence of asthma, other atopic diseases, family history of atopic diseases, or positive responses to skinprick tests (nine versus five) in the two groups. The prevalence of bronchial hyperreactivity, however, was significantly higher in the group with bronchiectasis than in the control group for both histamine (7 v 0 patients) and methacholine (6 v 0 patients). The group with bronchiectasis had more airflow obstruction (mean FEV1 67% predicted), but there was no correlation between spirometric indices and log PD20 (the log dose of histamine or methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1). This suggests that, although reduced airway calibre may be a factor underlying bronchial hyperreactivity in bronchiectasis, it is not the only mechanism. Further studies are needed to determine whether bronchial hyperreactivity has a causative role in the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis or whether it occurs as a result of the disease.

Full text

PDF
948

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bahous J., Cartier A., Pineau L., Bernard C., Ghezzo H., Martin R. R., Malo J. L. Pulmonary function tests and airway responsiveness to methacholine in chronic bronchiectasis of the adult. Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1984 Jul-Aug;20(4):375–380. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boushey H. A., Holtzman M. J., Sheller J. R., Nadel J. A. Bronchial hyperreactivity. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Feb;121(2):389–413. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.121.2.389. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Britton J., Mortagy A., Tattersfield A. Histamine challenge testing: comparison of three methods. Thorax. 1986 Feb;41(2):128–132. doi: 10.1136/thx.41.2.128. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burney P. G., Britton J. R., Chinn S., Tattersfield A. E., Papacosta A. O., Kelson M. C., Anderson F., Corfield D. R. Descriptive epidemiology of bronchial reactivity in an adult population: results from a community study. Thorax. 1987 Jan;42(1):38–44. doi: 10.1136/thx.42.1.38. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burrows B., Lebowitz M. D., Barbee R. A. Respiratory disorders and allergy skin-test reactions. Ann Intern Med. 1976 Feb;84(2):134–139. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-84-2-134. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chan T. B., Arm J. P., Anderson J., Eiser N. M. Pulmonary epithelial permeability in bronchiectasis. Br J Dis Chest. 1988 Jan;82(1):56–63. doi: 10.1016/0007-0971(88)90008-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Connolly M. J., Avery A. J., Walters E. H., Hendrick D. J. The relationship between bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and bronchial responsiveness to histamine in asthmatic subjects. Pulm Pharmacol. 1988;1(1):53–58. doi: 10.1016/0952-0600(88)90011-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Du Toit J. I., Woolcock A. J., Salome C. M., Sundrum R., Black J. L. Characteristics of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in smokers with chronic air-flow limitation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1986 Sep;134(3):498–501. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1986.134.3.498. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Higgins B. G., Britton J. R., Chinn S., Jones T. D., Vathenen A. S., Burney P. G., Tattersfield A. E. Comparison of histamine and methacholine for use in bronchial challenge tests in community studies. Thorax. 1988 Aug;43(8):605–610. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.8.605. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hilton A. M., Doyle L. Immunological abnormalities in bronchiectasis with chronic bronchial suppuration. Br J Dis Chest. 1978 Jul;72(3):207–216. doi: 10.1016/0007-0971(78)90043-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holmgren A., Ripe E. Airway conductance after inhalation of microaerosols of histamine chloride in healthy subjects and in patients with bronchiectasis before and after operation. Scand J Respir Dis. 1973;54(4):215–222. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lam K. K., Pang S. C., Allan W. G., Hill L. E., Snell N. J., Nunn A. J., Prime F. J. A survey of ventilatory capacity in Chinese subjects in Hong Kong. Ann Hum Biol. 1982 Sep-Oct;9(5):459–472. doi: 10.1080/03014468200005991. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Murphy M. B., Reen D. J., Fitzgerald M. X. Atopy, immunological changes, and respiratory function in bronchiectasis. Thorax. 1984 Mar;39(3):179–184. doi: 10.1136/thx.39.3.179. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ramsdale E. H., Morris M. M., Roberts R. S., Hargreave F. E. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine in chronic bronchitis: relationship to airflow obstruction and cold air responsiveness. Thorax. 1984 Dec;39(12):912–918. doi: 10.1136/thx.39.12.912. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sekizawa K., Yanai M., Shimizu Y., Sasaki H., Takishima T. Serial distribution of bronchoconstriction in normal subjects. Methacholine versus histamine. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Jun;137(6):1312–1316. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/137.6.1312. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Taylor R. G., Gross E., Joyce H., Holland F., Pride N. B. Smoking, allergy, and the differential white blood cell count. Thorax. 1985 Jan;40(1):17–22. doi: 10.1136/thx.40.1.17. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Taylor R. G., Joyce H., Gross E., Holland F., Pride N. B. Bronchial reactivity to inhaled histamine and annual rate of decline in FEV1 in male smokers and ex-smokers. Thorax. 1985 Jan;40(1):9–16. doi: 10.1136/thx.40.1.9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Varpela E., Laitinen L. A., Keskinen H., Korhola O. Asthma, allergy and bronchial hyper-reactivity to histamine in patients with bronchiectasis. Clin Allergy. 1978 May;8(3):273–280. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1978.tb03224.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Yan K., Salome C., Woolcock A. J. Rapid method for measurement of bronchial responsiveness. Thorax. 1983 Oct;38(10):760–765. doi: 10.1136/thx.38.10.760. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES