title: Skin-blanching is associated with FEV(1), allergy, age and gender in asthma families.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhaled glucocorticosteroids reduce airway inflammation in asthma patients, thereby improving lung function and reducing airway hyperresponsiveness and symptoms. The response to glucocorticosteroids can be measured with the glucocorticosteroid skin-blanching test. We investigated if asthmatics have a lower skin-blanching response to glucocorticosteroids than non-asthmatic subjects and if asthmatics with airway obstruction have lower skin-blanching response than those without obstruction. Finally, we assessed which clinical and inflammatory parameters influence the variability in skin-blanching response.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the skin-blanching response to topical budesonide in a large group of 315 well-characterized asthmatics and their relatives (asthma n = 114, healthy n = 140, other = 61).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The skin-blanching scores of the asthma probands and their healthy spouses were not significantly different. The skin-blanching score of patients with FEV(1) < 80% predicted was lower than of patients without obstruction. Lower skin-blanching score was significantly associated with lower FEV(1) %predicted, higher age, female gender, absence of allergy and summer season, but not with use of inhaled or oral glucocorticosteroids or packyears smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthmatics do not have lower skin-blanching response to glucocorticosteroids than healthy subjects. Furthermore, lower skin-blanching response to glucocorticosteroids is associated with lower FEV(1), female gender, higher age and the absence of allergy.
authors: Department of Pulmonology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. e.d.telenga@umcg.nl
authors: Eef D
authors: ED
authors: Telenga
authors: Maarten
authors: M
authors: van den Berge
authors: Judith M
authors: JM
authors: Vonk
authors: Hajo
authors: H
authors: Jongepier
authors: Leslie A
authors: LA
authors: Lange
authors: Dirkje S
authors: DS
authors: Postma
authors: Gerard H
authors: GH
authors: Koppelman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019819:Budesonide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019819:Budesonide