Comparative effects of sulfur dioxide exposures at 5 degrees C and 22 degrees C in exercising asthmatics

Either airway cooling or sulfur dioxide (SO2) can induce bronchoconstriction in many asthmatics. Whether these two stresses act synergistically is a question with important public health implications. Eight young adult asthmatic volunteers were exposed to SO2 at 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 ppm, during 5 min heavy exercise at 5 degrees C, both with high (approximately 85%) and with low (approximately 50%) relative humidity. Physiologic response increased with increasing SO2 concentration but did not vary significantly with humidity. Symptom response was marginally greater at low than at high humidity. Twenty-four asthmatics were exposed similarly to clean air and to 0.6 ppm SO2, at 5 degrees C and also at 22 degrees C, always at high relative humidity. For this group, physiologic and clinical responses to SO2 (in excess of responses to clean air) were highly significant, regardless of temperature. The mean excess responses at 5 degrees compared with those at 22 degrees C were not statistically significant in clean air or SO2. Thus, moderate cold stress exacerbated the untoward response to SO2 only slightly and inconsistently in these asthmatic subjects.