Original Articles: Asthma, Rhinitis, Other Respiratory DiseasesA link between chronic asthma and chronic infection☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Subjects
Sixty-six subjects were recruited by means of newspaper and radio advertisements from the general Denver, Colorado, community. Subject testing among asthmatic patients and control subjects was distributed relatively equally over the seasonal time periods. The asthmatic patients fulfilled criteria for asthma, exhibiting a provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% reduction in FEV1 (PC20) of less than 8 mg/mL and reversibility of lung function by at least 15% with bronchodilator.
Results
All chest radiographs were negative for infiltrates. Both asthmatic patients and normal control subjects had IgG, IgA, and IgM concentrations within normal limits, without significant differences between the group. The IgE level (median [IQR]) in the asthmatic groups was 115 ng/mL (68-156 ng/mL), and the IgE level in the normal group was 9 ng/mL (3-13 ng/mL; P < .0002).
Subject characteristics are demonstrated in Table I.
Empty Cell Asthmatic patients Control subjects Sex 27 M, 28 F 5 M,
Discussion
This expanded study on the relationship of M pneumoniae in patients with chronic stable asthma supports our initial observation in a much smaller cohort of patients and gives further insight into the possible link between chronic infection and chronic asthma. Additionally, this study now supports other reports in regard to the potential of C pneumoniae in asthma. Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia species, or both were found in the airways of 53% of patients with stable asthma and in the PBMCs of an
Acknowledgements
We thank Drs Watson, Williamson, Marmion, and Gaydos and Mr Juno Pak for their technical assistance and Ms Mary Peterson for manuscript preparation.
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Supported by the American Lung Association, Asthma Research Center, and Abbott Laboratories.
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Reprint requests: Richard J. Martin, MD, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, 1400 Jackson St, Denver, CO 80206.