Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a patient with systemic mastocytosis

In order to investigate the possible involvement of airway mast cells in bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), we examined whether a patient with systemic mastocytosis would demonstrate BHR against ultrasonically nebulized distilled water (UNDW) and histamine inhalation challenge. A 56-year-old man with systemic mastocytosis underwent both UNDW and histamine inhalation challenge. We also evaluated the effect of beclomethasone dipropionate inhalation (BDI) treatment on the histamine inhalation challenge. The results showed that UNDW inhalation caused no changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) for this patient. The provocative dose causing a 20% fall (PC20) in FEV1 in the histamine inhalation challenge was 625 microg/mL. After BDI treatment for 8 weeks, the histamine PC20 was still 625 microg/mL. These data suggest that UNDW-induced bronchoconstriction may be independent of airway mast cells and that the mechanism of histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in systemic mastocytosis may be independent of airway inflammation, which is often present in asthmatics.     

Asthma and asthma-like disorder,a 5-year follow-up study

Consecutive adult patients (n = 70) referred for investigation of suspected asthma were reinvestigated after 5 years with the same diagnostic procedures (airway symptom score, spirometry, methacholine test) as used at the initial investigation. The same diagnostic criteria for asthma, asthma-like disorder (current asthma-like symptoms but negative asthmatests)and chronicobstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were used at both visits. At the first visit 39/70 patients (56%) fulfilled the asthma criteria, 21/70 (27%) fulfilled the asthma-like criteria and 5/70 (7%) the COPD criteria. Due to lack of current symptoms 5/70 (7%) could not be classified. 5/70 patients (7%) were smokers, however, in the majority (72%) smoke was not tolerated as it induced asthma-like symptoms. At the investigation, 5 years later, 30/39 patients (76%) still fulfilled the asthma criteria and 12/21 patients (57%) still fulfilled the asthma-like criteria. At the 5-year investigation, 10% of patients in the asthma group now fulfilled the asthma-like criteria and 10% of patients in the asthma-like group fulfilled the asthma criteria. It is concluded that asthma as well an asthma-like syndrome may persist for 5 years or more. It is also concluded thatthe two disorders are closely related as patients in the asthma group over time could move into the diagnostic criteria ofthe asthma-like disorder and vice versa.     

Lower esophageal sphincter pressures in patients of bronchial asthma and its correlation with spirometric parameters: a case-control study

Objectives: The cause–effect relationship between bronchial asthma and gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) is known, but studies have not been able to confirm the improvement of lung function with anti-acid therapy. Hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter (LES) may lead to both acid and non-acid reflux, resulting in asthma symptoms and decreased lung function. The objectives of our study were, firstly, to compare basal LES pressure between adult patients of asthma and normal controls and, secondly, to correlate the basal LES pressure with spirometric parameters in these patients. Methods: Thirty patients, aged between 18 and 65 years, diagnosed as cases of bronchial asthma and 27 healthy controls were included in the study. All the participants were subjected to esophageal manometry after overnight fasting and basal LES pressures were recorded. Then, spirometry was done 2?h after meal and pre- and post-bronchodilator FEV₁, FVC, PEFR were obtained for the asthma group. Results and conclusions: There is significant difference between basal LES pressure in patients of bronchial asthma and control population (8.70?±?2.67?mmHg versus 16.64?±?5.52, p?<?0.0001). 66.67% of the asthma patients have reduced LES pressures (<10?mmHg). The correlation coefficient between basal LES pressure and prebronchodilator FEV₁% predicted is 0.596 (p?<?0.0001, 95% CI 0.3002–0.7872). Obstructive airway impairment in adult patients of bronchial asthma is associated with hypotensive LES. GER, due to hypotensive LES may contribute to deterioration of spirometric parameters in asthma patients.     

哮喘患者短期激素治疗前后高渗盐水激发试验PD20-FEV1的变化

目的观察哮喘患者在经过短期激素治疗后高渗盐水激发试验气道高反应性变化。方法60例哮喘患者随机分为高渗盐水组及乙酰甲胆碱组。每组30例，均短期使用布地奈德4周左右，使用剂量每日400～600微克。每组每名患者激素治疗前后做各自激发试验，测定FEV1和PD20。结果两组FFV1均改善，高渗盐水激发组气道高反应性下降，乙酰EP胆碱组无明显变化。结论哮喘患者在经过短期激素治疗后肺功能改善，高渗盐水激发试验气道高反应性下降，而乙酰甲胆碱激发试验变化不明显。高渗盐水激发试验有望在哮喘病情监测及判断疗效方面发挥作用。     

无创正压通气在危重症支气管哮喘治疗中的应用价值研究进展

无创正压通气（noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation，NIPPV）技术具有简便经济、安全有效的特点，其在慢性阻塞性肺疾病合并呼吸衰竭中的应用已经为广大医师认可，但在危重支气管哮喘（哮喘）治疗中的应用价值，尚存在一定争议。本文对近年来NIPPV在危重哮喘治疗中的作用、地位和最新进展进行综述。在常规药物治疗的基础上，采用双水平鼻／面罩NIPPV用于危重症哮喘合并呼吸衰竭的治疗，安全有效，可减少气管插管率，降低住院时间和费用，但应严格掌握适应证，密切监测各项指标，必要时转为有创通气，避免贻误治疗时机。     

Intestinal helminth infestation is associated with increased bronchial responsiveness in children

Non-atopic asthma is the predominant phenotype in non-affluent parts of Latin America. We recently reported that infestation with Ascaris lumbricoides increased the risk of non-atopic asthma in less affluent areas of Brazil but the mechanism is unclear. The present study was conducted to determine whether helminth infestation is associated with heightened bronchial responsiveness (BHR), a common finding in asthma. A random sample of 50 asthmatic and 50 non-asthmatic controls (mean age 10.1 years) were selected from a larger cohort (n = 1,011) without knowledge of their helminth infestation status. Three stool samples were collected from each child on different days and each sample was analyzed by the Kato-Katz method for quantitative determination of helminth eggs. Bronchial provocation tests were performed with inhaled 4.5% hypertonic saline using the ISAAC Phase II standardized protocol. There was no difference between the prevalence of positive BHR in the asthmatics (20.4%) compared with the controls (14.6%) (P = 1.0). Helminth infestation was detected in 24.0% of children, with A. lumbricoides being the most common. Children with high load infestation (>or=100 eggs/g) were five times more likely to have BHR than children with low load or no infestation. Despite the small sample size the results of the present study suggest that the link between high load helminth infestation and non-atopic asthma may be mediated via heightened bronchial responsiveness, possibly due to an inflammatory response to the pulmonary phase of the helminth life cycle.     

An epithelial cell line (KNS-62) derived from a brain metastasis of bronchial squamous cell carcinoma

Summary A brain metastasis of bronchial squamous cell carcinoma in a patient was cultivated. The cells with epithelium-like characteristics were selected from the primary culture, and were subcultured to establish a cell line. The cultured cells were identified to be neoplastic by means of heterologous transplantation to nude mice, in which tumors developed and reproduced histologic characteristics as were seen in the primary tumor of the patient.     

纤维支气管镜和CT诊断支气管内膜结核的分析探讨

目的加强对支气管内膜结核早期征象的认识,提高诊治水平。方法收集了经活检和(或)刷栓和(或)痰查结核分枝杆菌检查证实的19例支气管内膜结核病例,分析螺旋CT和纤维支气管镜的检查结果、诊断准确率,比较两者的符合率。结果螺旋CT检查支气管异常发现率89．4%(17/19),确诊率为21．1%(4/19)；纤维支气管镜检查支气管异常发现率100．0%,活检阳性率47．4%(9/19),刷检阳性率36．8%(7/19),纤维支气管镜总阳性率84．2%(16/19)。结论CT对支气管内膜结核有重要诊断价值,但缺乏诊断特异性；纤维支气管镜检查是目前支气管内膜结核临床诊断最有效、最敏感的方法。     

Variability of Inflammatory Cell Counts on Bronchial Biopsies of Normal Subjects

Bronchial biopsies are currently used to study the pathophysiology of airway diseases, and comparisons are often made with biopsies from healthy volunteers. It is therefore important to evaluate the variability in each parameter analyzed in bronchial biopsies of healthy volunteers in order to be able to discriminate significant changes. We analyzed bronchial biopsies of 31 nonsmoking, nonatopic healthy subjects who volunteered as normal controls for studies on pathophysiology of asthma. Mean % epithelial desquamation was 23.7% of observed total epithelial length. No subepithelial fibrosis was observed. Inflammatory cell counts (/mm² connective tissue surface) were variable among subjects but not different between small (0.25 mm²) and large biopsies. Medians (range) of positive cells were for CD3: 20.5 (0–530.0), CD4: 6.2 (0–124.4), CD8: 1.8 (0–81.5), CD25: 0 (0–62.3), HLA-DR: 80.0 (3.5–524.2), EG1: 5.3 (0–180.6), EG2: 6.4 (0–48.8), AA1: 51.3 (0–286.4), CD45: 39.7 (0–448.5) and CD45ro: 28.6 (0–425.2). Subjects living in an urban area had significantly higher CD8-positive cell counts than those from suburban areas (p = 0.0001). The presence of an animal at home was associated with lower positive cell counts for CD4 (p = 0.02), CD45 (p = 0.02) and HLA-DR (p = 0.01). In conclusion, the variability in the number and expression of markers of activity of bronchial immune cells in normal subjects likely reflects variable host responses to environmental exposures and must be taken into account when compared to specimens obtained in subjects with airway diseases.