The relationship between bronchial asthma and Hageman factor dependent pathways (the contact phase of the internal coagulation system) was studied in reference to the possible role of the kallikrein-kinin system in asthmatics.The plasma Hageman factor level was significantly lower in asthmatics (74.8±27.7% in remission, and 75.4±26.3% during in attack) than in healthy subjects (98.1±27.6%), and the plasma prekallikrein value was also lower in asthmatics (88.8±25.3% in remission, and 75.1±23.8% during in attack) than in normal controls (105.7±19.7%). Especially, the plasma prekallikrein level was significantly lower in asthmatics during in attack than in those in remission. The plasma bradykinin level of asthmatics in remission tended to be higher (98.8±89.8pg/ml) than that of healthy subjects (47.1±29.6pg/ml). The plasma high molecular weight kininogen level was not significantly different between asthmatics and normal subjects. These results suggest that the plasma kallikrein-kinin system may play a role in the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma.
bronchial asthma
Hageman factor dependent pathways
kallikrein-kinin system
atopic asthma
intractable asthma