title: Bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with allergic rhinitis: forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity might be a predictive factor.
abstract: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is considered a strong risk factor for the onset of asthma. Bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) may be present in patients with AR. Forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity (FEF(25-75)) may be impaired in AR patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of BHR in a large group of patients with AR and whether FEF(25-75) might be related to BHR. Four thousand seven hundred eighty-one patients with AR were enrolled. Clinical examination, skin-prick test, spirometry, and methacholine challenge were performed in all patients. Fourteen percent of patients had severe BHR and 25.3% had mild BHR. Patients with low FEF(25-75) values (such as ≤65% of predicted) had severe BHR more frequently than patients with normal FEF(25-75) values (p < 0.001). In addition, low FEF(25-75) values constitute a relevant predictive factor (OR = 12.9) for severe BHR. This study shows that a relevant percentage of AR patients had BHR, and impaired FEF(25-75) values might predict it. Therefore, BHR should be suspected in AR patients with low FEF(25-75) values.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, Genoa, Italy. gio.cip@libero.it
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Ciprandi
authors: Maria Angela
authors: MA
authors: Tosca
authors: Alessio
authors: A
authors: Signori
authors: Ignazio
authors: I
authors: Cirillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D016210:Methacholine Chloride; D008875:Middle Aged; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012882:Skin Tests; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D016210:Methacholine Chloride