Detection of Bronchial Hyperreactivity after Inhalation of Cigarette Smoke-Polluted Air by Continuous Measurement of Respiratory Resistance

Abstract

Exposure to room air polluted by cigarette smoke is frquently encountered by people at home or at working place in daily life. This may trigger respiratory symptoms in asthmatics due to increased bronchial responsiveness. In this study, forced expiratory spirograms and methacholine challenge test using oscillation method were conducted in 14 asthmatics and 16 normal healthy volunteers, before and after breathing cigarette smoked-polluted air for 30 min, to determine whether exposure to such air influences respiratory function and bronchial reactivity. Our results show that no differences in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1), total respiratory resistance (Rrs), and bronchial reactivty were noted for normal subjects after they inhaled smoke-polluted air and forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1), total respiratory resistance (Rrs), and bronchial reactivty were noted for normal subjects after they inhaled smoke-polluted air and lung function