BACKGROUND. Airway responsiveness to inhaled nonspecific bronchoconstrictive agents has been demonstrated in normal, healthy infants. However, it is unknown whether airway responsiveness is present from birth or if it develops as a result of subsequent insults to the respiratory tract. To investigate this question, we assessed airway responsiveness in 63 normal infants at a mean age of 4 1/2 weeks. METHODS. Respiratory function was measured with use of the partial forced expiratory flow-volume technique to determine the maximal flow at functional residual capacity (VmaxFRC). The infants inhaled nebulized histamine at sequentially doubled concentrations (0.125 to 8.0 g per liter), until a concentration was reached at which the VmaxFRC fell by 40 percent from the base-line value (PC40) or until a concentration of 8.0 g per liter was reached. We also assessed maternal serum levels of IgE, cord-serum levels of IgE, the infants' skin reactivity to several allergens, and the parents' responsiveness to histamine and obtained family histories of asthma and smoking. RESULTS. Airway responsiveness was increased in infants with a family history of asthma (n = 19; median PC40, 0.78 g per liter; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 1.15; P less than 0.01), parental smoking (n = 13; median PC40, 0.52 g per liter; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.43 to 5.40; P less than 0.05), or both (n = 20; median PC40, 0.69 g per liter; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.37 to 2.10; P less than 0.05), as compared with the infants with no family history of asthma or smoking. The infants with no family history of asthma or smoking had a median PC40 of 2.75 g per liter (95 percent confidence interval, 1.48 to 4.00). No significant relations were detected between the immunologic variables and the PC40 in the infants. CONCLUSIONS. This study indicates that airway responsiveness can be present early in life and suggests that a family history of asthma or parental smoking contributes to elevated levels of airway responsiveness at an early age.
Source Information
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia.
This article has been cited by other articles:
Roduit, C, Scholtens, S, de Jongste, J C, Wijga, A H, Gerritsen, J, Postma, D S, Brunekreef, B, Hoekstra, M O, Aalberse, R, Smit, H A
(2009). Asthma at 8 years of age in children born by caesarean section. Thorax
64: 107-113
[Abstract][Full Text]
Turner, S. W., Young, S., Goldblatt, J., Landau, L. I., Le Souef, P. N.
(2009). Childhood Asthma and Increased Airway Responsiveness: A Relationship That Begins in Infancy. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
179: 98-104
[Abstract][Full Text]
Minai, O. A., Benditt, J., Martinez, F. J.
(2008). Natural History of Emphysema. Proc Am Thorac Soc
5: 468-474
[Abstract][Full Text]
Turner, S, Zhang, G, Young, S, Cox, M, Goldblatt, J, Landau, L, Le Souef, P
(2008). Associations between postnatal weight gain, change in postnatal pulmonary function, formula feeding and early asthma. Thorax
63: 234-239
[Abstract][Full Text]
Kotaniemi-Syrjanen, A., Malmberg, L. P., Pelkonen, A. S., Malmstrom, K., Makela, M. J.
(2007). Airway responsiveness: associated features in infants with recurrent respiratory symptoms. Eur Respir J
30: 1150-1157
[Abstract][Full Text]
Zhang, G., Hayden, C. M., Khoo, S-K., Candelaria, P., Laing, I. A., Turner, S., Franklin, P., Stick, S., Landau, L., Goldblatt, J., Le Souef, P. N.
(2007). {beta}2-Adrenoceptor polymorphisms and asthma phenotypes: interactions with passive smoking. Eur Respir J
30: 48-55
[Abstract][Full Text]
Siwik, J. P., Johnson, C. C., Havstad, S. L., Peterson, E. L., Ownby, D. R., Zoratti, E. M.
(2005). Airway Hyperresponsiveness to Methacholine at Age 6 to 8 Years in Nonasthmatic Patients Is Not Related to Increased Health-Care Utilization for Asthma in the Ensuing 5 Years: A Longitudinal Study of a Birth Cohort. Chest
128: 2420-2426
[Abstract][Full Text]
(2005). Diagnosis of asthma. CMAJ
173: S15-S19
[Full Text]
Raby, B. A., Van Steen, K., Celedon, J. C., Litonjua, A. A., Lange, C., Weiss, S. T., for the CAMP Research Group,
(2005). Paternal History of Asthma and Airway Responsiveness in Children with Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
172: 552-558
[Abstract][Full Text]
Greenough, A, Limb, E, Marston, L, Marlow, N, Calvert, S, Peacock, J
(2005). Risk factors for respiratory morbidity in infancy after very premature birth. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.
90: F320-f323
[Abstract][Full Text]
Teper, A. M., Kofman, C. D., Szulman, G. A., Vidaurreta, S. M., Maffey, A. F.
(2005). Fluticasone Improves Pulmonary Function in Children under 2 Years Old with Risk Factors for Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
171: 587-590
[Abstract][Full Text]
Turner, S. W., Palmer, L. J., Rye, P. J., Gibson, N. A., Young, S., Goldblatt, J., Landau, L. I., Le Souef, P. N.
(2005). Determinants of airway responsiveness to histamine in children. Eur Respir J
25: 462-467
[Abstract][Full Text]
Tepper, R. S., Williams-Nkomo, T., Martinez, T., Kisling, J., Coates, C., Daggy, J.
(2005). Parental Smoking and Airway Reactivity in Healthy Infants. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
171: 78-82
[Abstract][Full Text]
Franklin, P. J., Stick, S. M., Le Souef, P. N., Ayres, J. G., Turner, S. W.
(2004). Measuring Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels in Adults: The Importance of Atopy and Airway Responsiveness. Chest
126: 1540-1545
[Abstract][Full Text]
Schwartz, D. A., Freedman, J. H., Linney, E. A.
(2004). Environmental genomics: a key to understanding biology, pathophysiology and disease. Hum Mol Genet
13: R217-R224
[Abstract][Full Text]
Lucas, J. S., Inskip, H. M., Godfrey, K. M., Foreman, C. T., Warner, J. O., Gregson, R. K., Clough, J. B.
(2004). Small Size at Birth and Greater Postnatal Weight Gain: Relationships to Diminished Infant Lung Function. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
170: 534-540
[Abstract][Full Text]
Turner, S. W., Palmer, L. J., Rye, P. J., Gibson, N. A., Judge, P. K., Cox, M., Young, S., Goldblatt, J., Landau, L. I., Le Souef, P. N.
(2004). The Relationship between Infant Airway Function, Childhood Airway Responsiveness, and Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
169: 921-927
[Abstract][Full Text]
Jaakkola, J. J. K., Gissler, M.
(2004). Maternal Smoking in Pregnancy, Fetal Development, and Childhood Asthma. AJPH
94: 136-140
[Abstract][Full Text]
Dezateux, C, Lum, S, Hoo, A-F, Hawdon, J, Costeloe, K, Stocks, J
(2004). Low birth weight for gestation and airway function in infancy: exploring the fetal origins hypothesis. Thorax
59: 60-66
[Abstract][Full Text]
Franklin, P J, Turner, S W, Le Souef, P N, Stick, S M
(2003). Exhaled nitric oxide and asthma: complex interactions between atopy, airway responsiveness, and symptoms in a community population of children. Thorax
58: 1048-1052
[Abstract][Full Text]
O'Byrne, P. M., Inman, M. D.
(2003). Airway Hyperresponsiveness. Chest
123
: 411S-416S
[Abstract][Full Text]
Galland, B C, Taylor, B J, Bolton, D P G, Sayers, R M
(2003). Respiratory responses to hypoxia/hypercapnia in small for gestational age infants influenced by maternal smoking. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.
88: F217-F222
[Abstract][Full Text]
Elliot, J. G., Carroll, N. G., James, A. L., Robinson, P. J.
(2003). Airway Alveolar Attachment Points and Exposure to Cigarette Smoke In Utero. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
167: 45-49
[Abstract][Full Text]
Cole Johnson, C., Ownby, D. R., Zoratti, E. M., Hensley Alford, S., Williams, L. K., Joseph, C. L. M.
(2002). Environmental Epidemiology of Pediatric Asthma and Allergy. Epidemiol Rev
24: 154-175
[Full Text]
Gilliland, F. D., Li, Y.-F., Dubeau, L., Berhane, K., Avol, E., McConnell, R., Gauderman, W. J., Peters, J. M.
(2002). Effects of Glutathione S-Transferase M1, Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy, and Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Asthma and Wheezing in Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
166: 457-463
[Abstract][Full Text]
Barrett, E. G., Wilder, J. A., March, T. H., Espindola, T., Bice, D. E.
(2002). Cigarette Smoke-induced Airway Hyperresponsiveness Is Not Dependent on Elevated Immunoglobulin and Eosinophilic Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Allergic Airway Disease. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
165: 1410-1418
[Abstract][Full Text]
Turner, S. W., Palmer, L. J., Rye, P. J., Gibson, N. A., Judge, P. K., Young, S., Landau, L. I., Le Souef, P. N.
(2002). Infants with Flow Limitation at 4 Weeks: Outcome at 6 and 11 Years. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
165: 1294-1298
[Abstract][Full Text]
Murray, C S, Pipis, S D, McArdle, E C, Lowe, L A, Custovic, A, Woodcock, A
(2002). Lung function at one month of age as a risk factor for infant respiratory symptoms in a high risk population. Thorax
57: 388-392
[Abstract][Full Text]
Hoo, A.-F., Dezateux, C., Hanrahan, J. P., Cole, T. J., Tepper, R. S., Stocks, J.
(2002). Sex-Specific Prediction Equations for VmaxFRC in Infancy . A Multicenter Collaborative Study. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
165: 1084-1092
[Abstract][Full Text]
Sherriff, A., Peters, T. J, Henderson, J., Strachan, D.
(2001). Risk factor associations with wheezing patterns in children followed longitudinally from birth to 3 1/2 years. Int J Epidemiol
30: 1473-1484
[Abstract][Full Text]
Dezateux, C, Stocks, J, Wade, A M, Dundas, I, Fletcher, M E
(2001). Airway function at one year: association with premorbid airway function, wheezing, and maternal smoking. Thorax
56: 680-686
[Abstract][Full Text]
GOLDSTEIN, A. B., CASTILE, R. G., DAVIS, S. D., FILBRUN, D. A., FLUCKE, R. L., McCOY, K. S., TEPPER, R. S.
(2001). Bronchodilator Responsiveness in Normal Infants and Young Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
164: 447-454
[Abstract][Full Text]
Niggemann, B., Illi, S., Madloch, C., Volkel, K., Lau, S., Bergmann, R., von Mutius, E., Wahn, U., MAS-Study Group,
(2001). Histamine challenges discriminate between symptomatic and asymptomatic children. Eur Respir J
17: 246-253
[Abstract][Full Text]
GILLILAND, F. D., LI, Y.-F., PETERS, J. M.
(2001). Effects of Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Asthma and Wheezing in Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
163: 429-436
[Abstract][Full Text]
PALMER, L. J., RYE, P. J., GIBSON, N. A., BURTON, P. R., LANDAU, L. I., LESOUËF, P. N.
(2001). Airway Responsiveness in Early Infancy Predicts Asthma, Lung Function, and Respiratory Symptoms by School Age. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
163: 37-42
[Abstract][Full Text]
ELLIOT, J., CARROLL, N., BOSCO, M., MCCROHAN, M., ROBINSON, P.
(2001). Increased Airway Responsiveness and Decreased Alveolar Attachment Points Following In Utero Smoke Exposure in the Guinea Pig. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
163: 140-144
[Abstract][Full Text]
Le Souëf, P N
(2000). Paediatric origins of adult lung diseases bullet 4: Tobacco related lung diseases begin in childhood. Thorax
55: 1063-1067
[Full Text]
HALL, G. L., HANTOS, Z., PETAK, F., WILDHABER, J. H., TILLER, K., BURTON, P. R., SLY, P. D.
(2000). Airway and Respiratory Tissue Mechanics in Normal Infants. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
162: 1397-1402
[Abstract][Full Text]
Witorsch, R. J., Witorsch, P.
(2000). Review : Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Respiratory Health in Children: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Literature from 1969 to 19981. Indoor and Built Environment
9: 246-264
[Abstract]
Stick, S.
(2000). Paediatric origins of adult lung disease bullet 1: The contribution of airway development to paediatric and adult lung disease. Thorax
55: 587-594
[Full Text]
LAING, I. A., HERMANS, C., BERNARD, A., BURTON, P. R., GOLDBLATT, J., LE SOUËF, P. N.
(2000). Association between Plasma CC16 Levels, the A38G Polymorphism, and Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
161: 124-127
[Abstract][Full Text]
CLOUGH, J. B., KEEPING, K. A., EDWARDS, L. C., FREEMAN, W. M., WARNER, J. A., WARNER, J. O.
(1999). Can We Predict Which Wheezy Infants Will Continue to Wheeze?. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
160: 1473-1480
[Abstract][Full Text]
Stathis, S. L., O'Callaghan, D.&H*; M., Williams, G. M., Najman, J. M., Andersen, M. J., Bor, A.{p. a. W.
(1999). Maternal Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy Is an Independent Predictor for Symptoms of Middle Ear Disease at Five Years' Postdelivery. Pediatrics
104: 16e-16
[Abstract][Full Text]
Sheikh, S., Goldsmith, L. J., Howell, L., Parry, L., Eid, N.
(1999). Comparison of Lung Function in Infants Exposed to Maternal Smoking and in Infants With a Family History of Asthma. Chest
116: 52-58
[Abstract][Full Text]
DEZATEUX, C., STOCKS, J., DUNDAS, I., FLETCHER, M. E.
(1999). Impaired Airway Function and Wheezing in Infancy . The Influence of Maternal Smoking and a Genetic Predisposition to Asthma. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
159: 403-410
[Abstract][Full Text]
PALMER, L. J., DANIELS, S. E., RYE, P. J., GIBSON, N. A., TAY, G. K., COOKSON, W. O. C. M., GOLDBLATT, J., BURTON, P. R., LESOUEF, P. N.
(1998). Linkage of Chromosome 5q and 11q Gene Markers to Asthma-associated Quantitative Traits in Australian Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
158: 1825-1830
[Abstract][Full Text]
Cook, D. G, Strachan, D. P, Carey, I. M
(1998). Health effects of passive smoking bullet 9: Parental smoking and spirometric indices in children. Thorax
53: 884-893
[Abstract][Full Text]
HOO, A.-F., HENSCHEN, M., DEZATEUX, C., COSTELOE, K., STOCKS, J.
(1998). Respiratory Function Among Preterm Infants Whose Mothers Smoked During Pregnancy. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
158: 700-705
[Abstract][Full Text]
ELLIOT, J., VULLERMIN, P., ROBINSON, P.
(1998). Maternal Cigarette Smoking Is Associated with Increased Inner Airway Wall Thickness in Children Who Die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med.
158: 802-806
[Abstract][Full Text]
Cook, D. G, Strachan, D. P
(1998). Health effects of passive smoking bullet 7: Parental smoking, bronchial reactivity and peak flow variability in children. Thorax
53: 295-301
[Abstract][Full Text]
Silverman, M., Wilson;, N., SPEIGHT, N.
(1997). Asthma---time for a change of name? • Commentary. Arch. Dis. Child.
77: 62-65
[Full Text]
Korppi, M., Kuikka, L., Reijonen, T., Remes, K., Juntunen-Backman, K., Launiala, K.
(1994). Bronchial Asthma and Hyperreactivity After Early Childhood Bronchiolitis or Pneumonia: An 8-Year Follow-up Study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med
148: 1079-1084
[Abstract]
Previous
