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Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with sarcoidosis
A N Aggarwal1, D Gupta, G Chandrasekhar
1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh, India.
The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
|January 7, 2005
Summary
Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is present in many sarcoidosis patients, potentially worsening lung function. This study evaluated BHR in newly diagnosed individuals using methacholine challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease.
- Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is a common finding in obstructive airway diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of BHR in patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis.
- To explore the relationship between BHR and sarcoidosis severity or pulmonary function.
Main Methods:
- Twenty newly diagnosed, non-smoking sarcoidosis patients without other cardiopulmonary conditions or treatments were assessed.
- Methacholine challenge testing with spirometry was used to determine BHR, defined by PC20 values.
- Patients were categorized based on the severity of BHR: borderline, mild, and moderate to severe.
Main Results:
- Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) was observed in 45% of the sarcoidosis patients studied.
- Moderate to severe BHR was noted in 25% of patients, while 15% had borderline and 5% had mild BHR.
- All patients with endobronchial sarcoidosis exhibited BHR, irrespective of age, gender, or disease duration.
Conclusions:
- Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) is a significant finding in a substantial portion of sarcoidosis patients.
- The presence of BHR may contribute to the progressive decline in lung function observed in sarcoidosis.