[Secondary inactive pulmonary tuberculosis and non specific bronchial reactivity]

Bronchial reactivity to methacholine was examined in three groups of smokers (N = 93): subjects with secondary inactive pulmonary tuberculosis (TPI) 2 years after the beginning of treatment (N = 44); subjects with asymptomatic chronic bronchitis (N = 25) and healthy control (N = 24). Mean PC20FEV1 was 9.54 (SD 6.05), 11.12 (SD 5.42) and 13.74 (SD 4.7) respectively (tuberculosis vs control, p < 0.02). According to the arbitrary criteria for bronchial asthma, nonspecific hyperreactivity was present in 50% of subjects with TPI, in 37.5% of bronchitic patients and in 16% of control subjects. No difference was found with regard to PC20FEV1, the chemotherapeutic regimen (9 or 12 months of therapy), results of tuberculin test (normo and hyperreactive) and X-ray findings determined before the onset of treatment. Mahalanobis statistical analysis with respect to smoking index, basal ventilatory function tests and nonspecific bronchial reactivity grouped together healthy volunteers and subjects with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis apart from the group with asymptomatic chronic bronchitis.