Relationship of airway wall thickness to airway sensitivity and airway reactivity in asthma

摘要: Airway wall thickening has been assumed to cause airway hyperresponsiveness, but a protective effect against narrowing also suggested. We investigated the relationship between thickness as assessed by helical computed tomography and two components of responsiveness, sensitivity reactivity, in patients with stable asthma (n = 23) without 22) inhaled steroid treatment. A cross-section apical bronchus right upper lobe was obtained. area corrected body surface measured an index thickness. reactivity were continuous inhalation methacholine, on basis methacholine respiratory resistance dose-response curve. The eosinophil count sputum determined 16 [steroid (+) group] 14 (-) group]. In both groups patients, not related reactivity. [r 0.57 group r 0.49 group], contrast, negatively correlated -0.56 -0.55 count. Our results suggest that attenuates asthma. These findings may have important implications pathophysiology treatment remodeling.