Relationship between methacholine PC20 level and asthma control status among pediatric patients with atopic asthma

Shin-Ae Yoon; Ji-Yong Yoon; Heon Kim; Youn-Soo Hahn

doi:10.4168/aard.2013.1.1.35

Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.1(1) > 1058983

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Yoon, Yoon, Kim, and Hahn: Relationship between methacholine PC20 level and asthma control status among pediatric patients with atopic asthma

Original Article

Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease

Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease 2013; 1(1): 35-40.

Published online: 31 March 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4168/aard.2013.1.1.35

Relationship between methacholine PC₂₀ level and asthma control status among pediatric patients with atopic asthma

Shin-Ae Yoon¹, Ji-Yong Yoon¹, Heon Kim², Youn-Soo Hahn¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.

²Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Korea.

Correspondence to: Youn-Soo Hahn. Department of Pediatrics, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, 52 Naesudong-ro, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju 361-804, Korea. Tel: +82-43-269-6042, Fax: +82-43-264-6620, yshahn@chungbuk.ac.kr

Received 18 December 2012 Revised 6 March 2013 Accepted 6 March 2013

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Abstract

Purpose

Although methacholine PC₂₀ helps clinicians to identify asthma, there are practical limitations in using methacholine PC₂₀ to assess asthma control. We assessed the relationship between methacholine PC₂₀ levels and asthma control status in child patients with atopic asthma.

Methods

We enrolled 153 children of 8 to 15 years of age with atopic asthma and measured methacholine PC₂₀ of these children when their asthma was controlled. We followed up these patients for more than 2 years with measurements of asthma control score, lung function, bronchodilator response (BDR), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO).

Results

The geometric mean of methacholine PC₂₀ in the study population was 2.81 mg/mL. Lower methacholine PC₂₀ was found to be associated with lower lung function, higher rate of BDR greater than 12%, higher level of BDR, higher rate of FeNO levels greater than 23 ppb, higher FeNO, higher numbers of asthma aggravation per year, and higher rate of asthma control test scores of 19 or less.

Conclusion

These data provide evidences that the degree of methacholine PC₂₀ is linked to disease severity in children with atopic asthma. Thus, regular and close monitoring of asthma control should be required for patients with lower levels of methacholine PC₂₀.

Keywords: Asthma, Child, Airway hyperresponsiveness, Lung function, FeNO

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

Study schedule. PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FeNO, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide.

Table 1

Baseline characteristics of the study population (n= 153)

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

^*Geometric mean.

Table 2

Association of spirometric values with the level of methacholine PC₂₀

FVC, forced vital capacity; FEV₁, forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FEV_25-75, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75%; PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in FEV₁.

^*Logarithm of PC₂₀.

Table 3

Association of bronchodilator response with the level of methacholine PC₂₀

BDR, bronchodilator response; PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

^*Logarithm of PC₂₀.

Table 4

Association of FeNO levels with the level of methacholine PC₂₀

FeNO, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide; PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

^*Logarithm of PC₂₀.

Table 5

Association of asthma aggravations with the level of methacholine PC₂₀

PC₂₀, provocative concentration causing 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

^*Logarithm of PC₂₀.

Notes

This work was supported by the research grant of Chungbuk National University in 2011.

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