[Allergy and bronchial hyperreactivity in chronic obstructive lung disease]

In 630 patients with various forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) an attempt was made to determine the nature of bronchial reactivity and to find out the participation of allergy in the pathogenesis of the disease with the help of clinical observations, skin-allergic test and inhalatory bronchial provocation test (specific and nonspecific). Clinical manifestations of hypersensitivity were found in a great number of patients (320). All of them were with nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity and most of them were with specific skin hyperreactivity (75%) and with specific bronchial hyperreactivity (67.2%). These data show that allergy and bronchial hyperreactivity take part in the pathogenesis of COPD. The tests for allergy and bronchial hyperreactivity should find place in the diagnostic scheme for COPD.