Forced oscillation technique as a predictor of FEV1 improvement in asthma

The usefulness of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) for predicting the treatment outcomes in untreated asthmatic patients is unknown. We investigated whether FOT could predict an improvement in FEV1 following treatment. FOT, spirometry, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were performed in 31 outpatients before and after undergoing a minimum of two months combination therapy of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonists. The patients were classified as responders or nonresponders to treatment based on the presence or absence of a 10% improvement in the FEV1. The responders to the treatment regimen exhibited lower FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75%, and higher respiratory resistance at 5Hz (R5), as well as a difference between R5 and R20 (R5-R20) at baseline compared to the nonresponders. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, a change in FEV1 greater than 10% was independently predicted by the R5 (adjusted odds ratio: 15.9). The ROC curve analyses revealed that the area under the curve for R5 (0.731) was larger than that of the other parameters. Thus, R5 is a forced oscillatory parameter and predicts an improvement in FEV1 following treatment.