PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Taylor, RG
AU  - Agnew, JE
AU  - Francis, RA
AU  - Pavia, D
AU  - Clarke, SW
TI  - Respiratory epithelial permeability is unrelated to bronchial reactivity and small airway function in young smokers and nonsmokers
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.93.01040319
DP  - 1988 Apr 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 319--323
VI  - 1
IP  - 4
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/1/4/319.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/1/4/319.full
SO  - Eur Respir J1988 Apr 01; 1
AB  - We studied eight young smokers and ten nonsmokers, to determine whether respiratory epithelial permeability to radiolabelled diethylenetriamine penta-acetate (99mTcDTPA) was related to small airway function or bronchial reactivity. Permeability was measured in inner (containing central airways) and outer lung zones by gamma camera. Lung-to-blood half-time (LB-T1/2) was corrected for blood background. Histamine was inhaled tidally (2 min inhalations) using doubling concentrations from 2 to 64 mg.ml-1. Results of small airway function tests, and of bronchial reactivity (expressed as the threshold concentration (reducing forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) by 2 SD), and as the percentage reduction in FEV1 after histamine 16 mg.ml-1) were similar in smokers and nonsmokers. LB-T1/2 was shorter in smokers than in nonsmokers in both inner (median (range) 21 (5.5-33) vs 63.5 (41-115) min; p less than 0.004) and outer (20.5 (5.5-30) vs 58.5 (39-105) min; p less than 0.004) zones. Neither inner nor outer zone LB-T1/2 was related to small airway function or bronchial reactivity. Bronchial reactivity and small airway tests may be abnormal in middle-aged smokers, but neither is related to the increased respiratory epithelial permeability of young smokers, in whom it appears too sensitive an index of airway integrity.