Airway response to a bronchodilator in healthy parents of infants with bronchiolitis
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M Pifferi1, C Bertelloni, G Viegi
1Department of Pediatrics, CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, University of Pisa, Italy.
Insights
Parents of infants with bronchiolitis exhibit heightened airway responsiveness to bronchodilators. This suggests a potential genetic or environmental link influencing respiratory health in families.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Genetics
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Bronchial responsiveness is influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Infants diagnosed with bronchiolitis often have parents with underlying respiratory conditions.
- Understanding parental airway responsiveness may offer insights into infant respiratory health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bronchial responsiveness in nonasthmatic parents of infants with bronchiolitis.
- To compare airway response between parents of infants with bronchiolitis and a control group.
- To explore the potential role of genetic and environmental factors in airway hyperresponsiveness.
Main Methods:
- A placebo-controlled, double-blind study involving 66 nonasthmatic parents of infants with bronchiolitis (group 1) and a control group (group 2).
- Assessment of airway response to inhaled salbutamol (bronchodilator) and placebo.
- Measurement of lung function parameters including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and mean forced expiratory flow (FEF25-75%).
- Baseline lung function was normal in all subjects.
Main Results:
- 24.2% of parents in group 1 showed significant airway responsiveness to salbutamol, not placebo.
- No significant changes in lung function parameters were observed in the control group (group 2).
- Parents of infants with bronchiolitis demonstrated greater airway responsiveness compared to control parents.
Conclusions:
- Parents of infants with bronchiolitis possess enhanced airway responsiveness.
- This finding suggests a potential heritable or environmental predisposition to airway hyperresponsiveness.
- Further research is warranted to determine if parental airway responsiveness can predict infant bronchiolitis outcomes.
Abstract:
In order to assess the role of genetic factors and environmental influences in bronchial responsiveness, we studied the airway response to an inhaled bronchodilator in 66 nonasthmatic parents (age, 30.9 +/- 5.9 years) of infants with bronchiolitis (group 1). It was a placebo-controlled double-blind study. A control group (group 2) of healthy parents of infants who did not have bronchiolitis also were investigated with the test of bronchodilator response. All subjects showed normal expiratory airflow and lung volumes (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], and mean forced expiratory flow during the middle half of FVC [FEF25-75%] > 80 percent of predicted) at baseline forced expiratory maneuver. In 16 (24.2 percent) subjects of group 1, there was significant increase in at least one parameter after salbutamol administration, but not after placebo inhalation, with respect to baseline levels. Furthermore, no significant changes in FVC, FEV1, or FEF25-75% values were found in group 2. In conclusion, this study confirms that parents of infants with bronchiolitis have an enhanced airway responsiveness, greater than control parents. Further studies are needed to assess whether one may infer the outcome of infants with bronchiolitis from this characteristic in their parents.