BACKGROUND Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine has been reported to occur in most lung transplant recipients. BHR to physical stimuli such as exercise and non-isotonic aerosols has not been as extensively studied in this subject population. This report aims to assess the presence and degree of BHR to methacholine and hypertonic saline in stable lung transplant recipients and to ...

In healthy individuals, airway resistance has an inverse relationship with lung volume.1 Moreover, deep inhalation is thought to maintain airway smooth muscle homeostasis and to possess bronchodilating and bronchoprotective properties against challenge agents.2-6 The bronchodilatory effect of deep inhalation is clearly impaired in asthma patients2,7,8; however, the bronchoprotective properties ...

The prevalence of bronchial hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine and of a clinical history of symptoms of asthma was determined in a birth cohort of 9 year old New Zealand children. A history of current or previous recurrent wheezing was obtained in 220 of 815 children. Of 800 who had spirometric tests, 27 (3.4%) had resting airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC less than 75%). Methacholine challeng...

OBJECTIVES To search for optimal markers in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC), plasma and urine that would reflect the activity/severity of occupational asthma (OA) after the withdrawal from the exposure to the allergen. MATERIAL AND METHODS Markers of oxidative stress: 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoprostane, 8-ISO), malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenale (HNE), cysteinyl leukotr...

objective: the aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of ovarian reserve tests, mainly basal and clomiphene stimulated follicle stimulating hormone (fsh) concentrations. materials and methods : a prospective cohort study was conductedon 120 infertile patients referring to mirza koochak khan hospital for ivffrom 2004 to 2006. all the patients underwent clomiphene citrate challenge test (cc...

BACKGROUND Piperazine is a secondary heterocyclic amine that may give rise to occupational asthma of uncertain mechanism. METHODS We report on a 42-year-old woman, a process operator in a chemical factory, who developed work-related symptoms of rhinitis and asthma upon exposure to piperazine citrate. She remained symptom free during holidays and days off work. RESULTS Skin prick test with p...

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) are considered to be the most important mediator involved in the pathogenesis of aspirin-intolerant asthma (AIA). However, the role of cysLTs in the baseline condition of the pathophysiology of AIA when not exposed to non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as well as that in the pathophysiology of aspirin-tolerant asthma remains to be elucidated. Therefore...

BACKGROUND Considerable, unexamined controversy exists surrounding the use of the highest vs the lowest FEV(1) for calculating the provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) (PC(20)) during direct bronchoprovocation challenges. OBJECTIVE To compare the PC(20) calculated using the lowest FEV(1) post-diluent and post-histamine/methacholine vs the PC(20) calculated using the highest ...

Methacholine airway responsiveness has been observed to be related to prechallenge level of pulmonary function; however, normal ranges of responsiveness for specific levels of lung function have not been reported. We examined methacholine airway responsiveness in relation to level of prechallenge pulmonary function in a sample of 547 middle-aged and elderly men who denied any history of respira...