title: Inflammatory mediators in induced sputum and airway hyperresponsiveness in cough variant asthma during long-term inhaled corticosteroid treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate improvements in inflammatory mediator levels in induced sputum and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in cough variant asthma (CVA) during long-term inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with CVA (N = 35) and classic asthma (N = 26) and healthy subjects (N = 24) were recruited into this study. All patients were treated with budesonide (400 μg/day). Measurement of inflammatory mediators in induced sputum and PD20-FEV(1) (the accumulated provocative dose resulting in a 20% decrease in FEV(1)) in histamine-challenged subjects was performed every three months after the start of medication. Interleukin- (IL-) 5 and IL-10 were assayed by ELISA, and the percentage of eosinophils was detected with Giemsa stain. Trends during the follow-up period were analyzed using a general linear model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inflammatory mediator levels in induced sputum and PD20-FEV(1) in patients with CVA and classic asthma differed from those in the control group, although no differences were found in the two asthmatic groups. PD20-FEV(1) significantly increased in CVA patients after ICS treatment for 3 months, while classic asthma patients exhibited a delayed change in AHR. After ICS treatment, levels of IL-5 and IL-10 as well as the percentage of eosinophils in the CVA group were altered at 3 months and 6 months, respectively. Accordingly, the level of inflammatory mediators in classic asthma changed more slowly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CVA has a greater improvement in airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) than classic asthma with respect to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). Short-term ICS considerably reduces AHR although longer treatment is required for complete control of airway inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Disease, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Meixuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kaixiong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016753:Interleukin-10