title: The kinin system in exercise-induced asthma.
abstract: Seventeen asthmatic children, nine with and eight without exercise-induced asthma (EIA), and nine control non-asthmatic children were studied in an attempt to discern possible associations between the activity of the kinin system and EIA. Pulmonary function tests and clinical check-up were performed before and after 6 min of free-range running. Concomitant blood tests revealed a consistent elevation of the kallikrein levels following the exercise challenge in all experimental groups. However, only in the EIA positive group did this elevation exceed the normal laboratory range (16 +/- 7.0 mu/ml). Prekallikrein levels both before and after exercise did not exceed in any group the normal laboratory values. The findings thus suggest that provocation of EIA is associated with a certain threshold of kallikrein level below which no such symptoms are observed. EIA may be triggered only when kallikrein levels are in excess.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000032:analysis; D007705:Kinins / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D007705:Kinins; D007610:Kallikreins