Ventilation heterogeneity is a major determinant of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma, independent of airway inflammation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Airway hyperresponsiveness is the ability of airways to narrow excessively in response to inhaled stimuli and is a key feature of asthma. Airway inflammation and ventilation heterogeneity have been separately shown to be associated with airway hyperresponsiveness. A study was undertaken to establish whether ventilation heterogeneity is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness independently of airway inflammation in subjects with asthma and to determine the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on this relationship.

Methods

Airway inflammation was measured in 40 subjects with asthma by exhaled nitric oxide, ventilation heterogeneity by multiple breath nitrogen washout and airway hyperresponsiveness by methacholine challenge. In 18 of these subjects with uncontrolled

SUBMITTER: Downie SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2117268 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature