Bronchial reactivity in subjects with urticaria.
BACKGROUND
Respiratory symptoms (rhinitis, asthma) accompany some skin diseases with a proven immunological or allergic pathogenesis whereas the immunological and allergological findings are sometimes negative in subjects with chronic urticarial skin symptoms and no cause can be found. This paper explores the possibility of airway inflammation in cases of this kind.


METHODS
Nonspecific bronchostimulation with methacholine was carried out in 12 subjects with a clinical history of urticaria and negative immunological and allergological findings.


RESULTS
All subjects displayed normal bronchoreactivity (mean PD20 1400 micrograms). The bronchostimulation test (evaluated from the FEV1) was always negative. In the control group the mean PD20 was 720 micrograms.


CONCLUSIONS
The fact that these eleven subjects did not display bronchial hyperreactivity suggests that monitoring of their respiratory function is not required.
Anania
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Turin University, Italy.
Striglia
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001980:Bronchi / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008875:Middle Aged; D014581:Urticaria / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*
D016210:Methacholine Chloride