Methacholine challenge testing in Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets

To determine the prevalence of positive results for methacholine challenge tests in asymptomatic Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets with no history of asthma.

Prospective, blinded cohort comparison study.

Pulmonary diseases clinic in a US Army tertiary-care medical center.

One hundred three college students who were undergoing a physical examination before entering active duty. Group 1 subjects, 58 men and 5 women with an average age of 22.7 years, had no symptoms or personal history of asthma. Group 2 patients, 34 men and 6 women with an average age of 22.2 years, had a history or recent suggestive symptoms of asthma.

Methacholine challenge testing using concentrations of 0.025, 0.25, 2.5, 10, and 25 mg/mL for a total dose of 188 inhalation units or until FEV(1) had declined by 20%.

Group 2 had significantly more patients with positive results for methacholine challenge tests or reversible airflow obstruction at baseline (23 of 40 patients [57.5%]) than group 1 (8 of 63 patients [12.7%]; p < 0.05). The cadets in group 1 with positive results for methacholine challenge tests reacted with a 20% decline in FEV(1) at the following concentrations: 25 mg/mL (188 IU), 2 patients; 10 mg/mL (64 IU), 4 patients; and 2.5 mg/mL (13.8 IU), 2 patients. Using values calculated for the provocative concentration of a substance causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) and the new American Thoracic Society criteria, four patients would have borderline bronchial hyperresponsiveness (4 to 16 mg/mL) and three patients (4.8%) would have mild bronchial hyperresponsiveness (1 to 4 mg/mL).

Asymptomatic US Army ROTC cadets with no history of asthma have possible false-positive responses to methacholine at concentrations > 0.25 mg/mL.