Characteristics of airway response in patients with steroid-dependent intractable asthma (SDIA)

Characteristics of airway response in steroid-dependent intractable asthma (SDIA) were examined in 86 asthma patients (43 with SDIA and 43 with non-SDIA) divided into three age groups: 20-39, 40-59 and 60+ years, by observing cellular composition of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and ventilatory function. 1. The level of serum cortisol was significantly lower in patients with SDIA than in those with non-SDIA in all age groups. 2. The proportion of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was significantly decreased in patients with SDIA compared to results in non-SDIA patients in the age between 40-59, and over 60+ years, While BAL neutrophils were significantly increased in SDIA patients compared to results in non-SDIA patients in the age group over 60 years. 3. Of ventilatory parameters, the values of % FVC, FEV(1.0%), % MMF and % V(25) were significantly lower in SDIA patients over the age of 60 compared with non-SDIA subjects of the same age group. These results show that in SDIA patients the proportion of BAL lymphocytes decreases and the proportion of BAL neutrophils increases with aging, and that ventilatory function in SDIA patients also decreases with aging compared to non-SDIA patients.

年齢により3群(20-39才,40-59才,60才以上)に分類された気管支喘息86例(ステロイド依存性重症難治性喘息:SDIA;43例,非SDIA;43例)を対象に,気管支肺胞洗浄液(BALF)中の細胞成分および換気機能よりSDIAにおける気 道反応の特徴を検討した｡1.血清コーチゾ-ル値は,SDIA症例において, 非SDIA症例に比べいずれの年齢層においても有意の低値を示した｡2.BALF中リンパ球頻度は,40-59才および60才以上のSDIA症例において,同年齢の非SDIA症例に比べ有意の低値を示した｡一方,BALF中好中球頻度は,60才以上のSDIA症例で,同年齢層の非SDIA症例に比べ有意に高い値を示 した｡また,BALF中好酸球頻度は,いずれの年齢層においても,SDIAと非SDIA症例の間に有意の差は見られなかった｡3.換気機能では,% FVC, FEV1.0%,% MMF, % V(25)などの換気パラメーターは,60才以上の SDIA症例において,同年齢層の非SDIA症例に比べて有意の低値を示した｡ これらの結果は,40-59才あるいは60才以上のSDIA症例では,非SDIA症例に比べ,BALF中リンパ球頻度の低下,好中球頻度の増加,換気パラメーター値の低下などがより高度に見られることを示している｡