[Screening in asthma].

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Allergy and Immunology
• Respiratory Medicine

Context:

• Asthma is characterized by non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
• Histamine bronchial challenge tests are used for diagnosis but require standardization.
• Previous studies highlight the importance of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthma.

Purpose:

• To analyze clinical correlations with bronchial response to histamine in a large cohort.
• To evaluate the utility of histamine bronchial challenge tests in asthma diagnosis.

Summary:

• Over 10% of clinically diagnosed asthma patients lack bronchial hyperresponsiveness, suggesting limited benefit from bronchodilators.
• Non-specific respiratory symptoms such as cough, chest tightness, and recurrent bronchitis are frequently associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
• These symptoms should be considered potential asthma manifestations.

Impact:

• Recommends histamine non-specific challenge tests for suspected asthma with normal baseline lung function.
• Suggests utilizing the test for subjects with unexplained chest symptoms.
• Aims to improve asthma diagnosis accuracy and patient stratification.