Bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation in adolescents with asymptomatic childhood asthma.
BACKGROUND
About 70% of childhood asthmatics become free of asthma-related symptoms during adolescence. Little is known about bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and airway inflammation in young adults with "outgrown" childhood asthma.


METHODS
We studied 61 nonsmoking medical students (18 intermittent mild asthmatics, 23 students with outgrown childhood asthma but free of asthma-related symptoms for 10 years (asymptomatic asthmatics) and 20 healthy students). BHR and lung function were measured, and induced sputum samples analyzed for eosinophil count, eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).


RESULTS
BHR was still present in most asymptomatic asthmatics, but it was milder compared with healthy students. Only three subjects with previous asthma had no BHR and no signs of airway inflammation. Percentages of eosinophil, and ECP, TNF-alpha and GM-CSF concentrations in induced sputum of mild asthmatics and asymptomatic asthma groups were higher than in the healthy group. In asymptomatic asthmatics group, the duration of asthma, sputum eosinophil percentage, and the level of TNF-alpha in sputum correlated significantly with BHR.


CONCLUSIONS
Only a few subjects with longstanding asymptomatic asthma could be considered as cured; most asymptomatic asthmatics continued to exhibit BHR and signs of airway inflammation. The outcome of childhood asthma and BHR was associated with the degree of airway inflammation and the duration of childhood asthma.
Obase
Y
Y
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan.
Shimoda
T
T
Kawano
T
T
Saeki
S
S
Tomari
S
S
Izaki
K
K
Fukushima
C
C
Matsuse
H
H
Kohno
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D016207:Cytokines; D007073:Immunoglobulin E