title: Evaluation of bronchial hypersensitivity in veterans with sulfur mustard gas-induced skin or eye manifestations without respiratory symptoms: 15 years after exposure.
abstract: The authors evaluated the prevalence of bronchial hypersensitivity in subjects who had confirmed exposure to sulfur mustard gas (SMG) but no overt respiratory manifestations. They chose 30 patients who had proven skin or eye manifestations secondary to SMG, and performed baseline and provocative pulmonary function testing with cold air and methacholine. The authors performed the same procedure on 30 control volunteers. After challenge testing with cold air and methacholine, bronchial hypersensitivity was detected in 7 (23.3%) and 9 (30%) of cases, respectively. Only 1 control subject showed hypersensitivity after provocation testing with cold air (p = approximately .05); the same control subject showed a positive challenge testing result with 10 mg/ml of methacholine (p < .02). The kappa coefficient for evaluating the effectiveness of the cold air, as a provocative agent for challenge testing, was 93.3%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Respiratory Diseases, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. arash.sangabi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assadsangabi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D013997:Time Factors; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D009151:Mustard Gas