Late asthmatic reactions and changes in histamine responsiveness provoked by occupational agents

Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir. 1987 Nov-Dec;23(6):577-81.

Abstract

The temporal and quantitative relationship between increases in airway responsiveness and late asthmatic reactions provoked by inhalation challenge with occupational agents was studied in nine individuals who underwent a total of thirteen active inhalation challenge tests with one of the following agents: toluene diisocyanate (TDI), maleic anhydride (MA), trimellitic anhydride (TMA), carmine, or colophony (pine wood resin). Airway responsiveness to inhaled histamine (histamine PC20) was measured before and at approximately 3 and 24 h after control and active challenge exposure, when, on all but four occasions, FEV1 was within 10% of pre-challenge values. Significant increases (p less than 0.02) in histamine responsiveness were present at 3 h following challenge exposures which subsequently provoked a definite late asthmatic reaction (FEV1 decrease greater than 15% 3-11 h post challenge). These increases in histamine responsiveness were significantly greater than those at 3 h following the challenges which provoked an isolated early (FEV1 decrease less than 6% 3-11 h post-challenge) or equivocal late asthmatic reaction (FEV1 decrease 6-15% 3-11 h post-challenge) (p less than 0.03). Although histamine responsiveness remained high at 24 h after challenges provoking late asthmatic reactions (p less than 0.05), this was less than the increase at 3 h and not significantly different from the PC20 at 24 h after challenges provoking either single early or equivocal late asthmatic reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

MeSH terms

  • Asthma / chemically induced*
  • Asthma / physiopathology
  • Bronchial Provocation Tests
  • Forced Expiratory Volume
  • Histamine / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Maleic Anhydrides / adverse effects
  • Occupational Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Occupational Diseases / physiopathology
  • Phthalic Anhydrides / adverse effects
  • Pulmonary Ventilation / drug effects*
  • Resins, Plant / adverse effects
  • Tars / adverse effects
  • Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate / adverse effects

Substances

  • Maleic Anhydrides
  • Phthalic Anhydrides
  • Resins, Plant
  • Tars
  • Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate
  • trimellitic anhydride
  • Histamine
  • rosin