Airway effects of local challenge with hypertonic saline in exercise-induced asthma

Hypertonicity of airway lining fluid has been suggested as the stimulus for bronchoconstriction in exercise-induced asthma. We explored the airway effects of delivering a direct hypertonic stimulus to asthmatic airways via a fiberoptic bronchoscope, comparing hypertonic saline challenge by direct instillation with local aerosol delivery. A group of 18 asthmatic subjects responsive to inhaled hypertonic saline with a history of EIA were studied; the first 9 subjects received local challenge with hypertonic saline by direct instillation, and the next 9 subjects were challenged by local aerosol delivery. A control challenge with isotonic saline by either instillation or aerosol was performed at a same bronchoscopy. Local challenge with hypertonic saline by aerosol delivery was found to be more effective in inducing local bronchoconstriction (8 of 9 subjects) than instillation (2 of 6 subjects). Paired BAL fluid samples and bronchial biopsies were obtained in total of 11 and 9 subjects, respectively. Local challenge with hypertonic saline either by instillation or aerosol produced no significant change in histamine, tryptase, or PGD2 levels in BAL fluid or mast cell numbers and degranulation in bronchial biopsies. A significant correlation was observed between histamine levels in BAL fluid and airway responsiveness to inhaled hypertonic saline (rs = -0.59, p < 0.05). Bronchial biopsies showed evidence of extensive epithelial damage; however, this was not related to airway responsiveness to inhaled hypertonic saline.