Tuberc Respir Dis.  2017 Oct;80(4):344-350. 10.4046/trd.2017.0051.

Nonspecific Bronchoprovocation Test

• Lee MK
• Yoon HK
• Kim SW
• Kim TH
• Park SJ
• Lee YM

• KMID: 2420576
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2017.0051

Abstract

Bronchial asthma is a disease characterized by the condition of airway hyper-responsiveness, which serves to produce narrowing of the airway secondary to airway inflammation and/or various spasm-inducing stimulus. Nonspecific bronchoprovocation testing is an important method implemented for the purpose of diagnosing asthma; this test measures the actual degree of airway hyper-responsiveness and utilizes direct and indirect bronchoprovocation testing. Direct bronchoprovocation testing using methacholine or histamine may have superior sensitivity as these substances directly stimulate the airway smooth muscle cells. On the other hand, this method also engenders the specific disadvantage of relatively low specificity. Indirect bronchoprovocation testing using mannitol, exercise, hypertonic saline, adenosine and hyperventilation serves to produce reactions in the airway smooth muscle cells by liberating mediators with stimulation of airway inflammatory cells. Therefore, this method has the advantage of high specificity and also demonstrates relatively low sensitivity. Direct and indirect testing both call for very precise descriptions of very specific measurement conditions. In addition, it has become evident that challenge testing utilizing each of the various bronchoconstrictor stimuli requires distinct and specific protocols. It is therefore important that the clinician understand the mechanism by which the most commonly used bronchoprovocation testing works. It is important that the clinician understand the mechanism of action in the testing, whether direct stimuli (methacholine) or indirect stimuli (mannitol, exercise) is implemented, when the testing is performed and the results interpreted.

Keyword

Airway Hyper-responsiveness; Bronchial Asthma; Bronchial Provocation Tests

MeSH Terms

Adenosine
Asthma
Bronchial Provocation Tests
Hand
Histamine
Hyperventilation
Inflammation
Mannitol
Methacholine Chloride
Methods
Myocytes, Smooth Muscle
Respiratory Hypersensitivity
Sensitivity and Specificity
Adenosine
Histamine
Mannitol
Methacholine Chloride

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