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Plasma histamine and bronchial reactivity in allergic asthma
Author(s) -
Corhay J. L.,
Bury Th.,
Louis R.,
Radermecker M. F.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1993.tb01113.x
Subject(s) - histamine , basophil , medicine , asthma , bronchial hyperresponsiveness , immunology , methacholine , allergy , basal (medicine) , blood sampling , venous blood , radioimmunoassay , blood plasma , endocrinology , immunoglobulin e , respiratory disease , lung , antibody , insulin
Histamine is an important mediator of allergic inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), a hallmark of asthma. Studies on the relationship between plasma histamine and BHR in allergic asthmatic patients have yielded controversial results. We therefore measured plasma histamine and bronchial reactivity in 30 nonsmoker volunteers taking no medication. Eleven were normal subjects; 19 were stable, mildly allergic asthmatic patients. Venous blood was taken to measure blood cells and basal plasma histamine by radioimmunoassay. After blood sampling, all subjects underwent a measurement of PC 20 M (concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV 1 ). Mean plasma histamine levels were 0.21 ± 0.1 ng/ml and 0.44 ± 0.3 ng/ml in normal and asthmatic subjects, respectively (P<0.05). We found a significant increase of blood eosinophils and basophils in asthmatic patients, and a positive correlation between plasma histamine and circulating basophils. PC 20 M was greater than 16 mg in normal volunteers, and mean PC 20 M was 2.1 ± 2 mg/ml in asthmatic patients. PC 20 M did not correlate with plasma histamine levels, but it did so negatively with blood eosinophils. The increased plasma histamine concentration in mildly atopic asthmatic patients might be a consequence of the high basophil releasability of atopies and the higher basophil counts in allergic asthma. Plasma histamine is thus unlikely to be a determinant of BHR in asthma.