Pre-eclampsia is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness.
Several large retrospective cohort studies demonstrate that pre-eclampsia is common in asthmatics. Whether airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), a hallmark of asthma, is associated with pre-eclampsia is unknown. We measured AHR, using a methacholine challenge, and atopy in 19 women 3-60 months postpartum following pre-eclamptic or normotensive pregnancies. The geometric mean (95% CI) concentration of methacholine required to produce a >20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (PC20 FEV1) was 8.9 (2.2-36) mg/ml in pre-eclamptics versus 72 (32-131) mg/ml in controls (P = 0.01) and 9 (1.9-40) mg/ml in atopic pre-eclamptics without asthma versus 54 (17-174) mg/ml (P = 0.038) in matched controls. Therefore, AHR was increased in women who have had pre-eclampsia. This association and its possible mechanisms warrant further investigation.
Siddiqui
S
S
Institute of Lung Health, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Goodman
N
N
McKenna
S
S
Goldie
M
M
Waugh
J
J
Brightling
C E
CE
D000328:Adult; D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D016085:Bronchoconstrictor Agents; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III