INTRASUBJECT VARIABILITY OF AIRWAY INFLAMMATION IN BRONCHIAL ASTBIMA

Abstract

Thi s wo r k was d o n e Ill Kasr E l-eini hos pit a l in th e period Ma y, 1 999 to October 2000. Fo rt y as thmat ic pati ents we re in cluded in th e s tud y, an d the medi ca l hi s t or y was ta k e n s tressin g o n th e n oct urn a l agg r avat i o n of th e ir sy mpto ms.

t Bronch oscopy was done t o eac h pati e nt at tw o occas10 n s, a t

1600 PM a nd a t 0400 AM a n d eac h tim e two bi opsy s i tes we re t aken from l arge a n d sm a ll a ir ways.

• T h e res ult s of the s tud y we re as f o ll ow:

I . Ast.hm a i s a c hr on i c infl a mm a to ry di so rder of th e a irways m which man y cel l s p l ay a r o l e, in cludin g m ast cell s, eos in op hil s, a nd l y m p h ocytes.

2. B r o nchi a l bi opsy thro ug h fibreop ti c bro n c h oscopy i s a sa fe a nd well tol e ra t e d procedure in asthmatics with va ri o u s gra d es of seve rit y.

3. Noc turn a l co u g h , w h eeze, o r c h est ti g htn ess wake n s m ore t h a n 90% of asthm a ti c s ubjec t s at l east o nce a m o nth .

4 . There 1 s n se 111 th e concern t owa rd s the s tudy of l oca l in flammator y ce ll s u s in g fibreopti c bronc h oscopy eith e r thr ough