Quality of Life and Inflammatory Markers in Mild Asthma

• Published in: Chest Vol. 129; no. 3; pp. 624 - 631
• Main Authors: Ehrs, Per-Olof, Sundblad, Britt-Marie, Larsson, Kjell
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Northbrook, IL Elsevier Inc 01.03.2006; American College of Chest Physicians
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; airway inflammation; AQLQ = Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire; Asthma; Asthma - blood; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - physiopathology; ATS = American Thoracic Society; Biological and medical sciences; Breath Tests; Bronchial Hyperreactivity - physiopathology; bronchial responsiveness; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; CI = confidence interval; Clinical medicine; DRS = dose-response slope; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume; Glucocorticoids - therapeutic use; Humans; Hyperventilation; Inflammation; Male; Medical sciences; MID = minimal important difference; Middle Aged; mild asthma; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - analysis; NO = nitric oxide; Patients; PC20 = provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% decrease in FEV1; PD20 = provocative dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in of FEV1; Pneumology; ppb = parts per billion; Primary care; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Spirometry; VAS = visual analog scale; Vital Capacity; Sweden; airway inflammation; PC20 = provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% decrease in FEV1; DRS = dose-response slope; mild asthma; ATS = American Thoracic Society; bronchial responsiveness; CI = confidence interval; MID = minimal important difference; VAS = visual analog scale; PD20 = provocative dose of methacholine causing a 20% fall in of FEV1; AQLQ = Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire; ppb = parts per billion; NO = nitric oxide; primary care; quality of life; Lung disease; Respiratory disease; Biological marker; Cardiovascular disease; Inflammation; Care; Asthma; Quality of life; Primary; Bronchus disease; Obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 0012-3692; 1931-3543
• DOI: 10.1378/chest.129.3.624

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between quality of life and measures of asthma, such as lung function, reversibility to bronchodilation, exhaled nitric oxide (NO), and bronchial responsiveness to direct and indirect stimulus in patients with mild asthma in a primary care setting. Seventy-seven asthmatic patients not treated with glucocorticosteroids completed the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Spirometry was performed before and after bronchodilation, and bronchial challenges with methacholine and eucapnic dry air hyperventilation were conducted on separate days. NO in exhaled air and serum IgE were also analyzed. We found no correlation between quality of life and any of the other parameters. There was a significant covariation between exhaled NO and bronchial responsiveness to methacholine and dry air, and also between FEV1 (percentage of predicted) and reversibility to a bronchodilator. The levels of exhaled NO were higher in the asthmatic subjects with atopy than in the nonatopic asthmatics. The measures used in our study do not reflect health-related quality of life in subjects with mild asthma. We conclude that in the clinical situation, quality of life and other measures of asthma provide complementary information.