Abstract

MARTIN, Trina; CAMPOS, Marissa; GARRIDO, Lisseloth  and  ISTURIZ, Guillermo. Asma leve persistente: Estudio histopatológico de mucosa bronquial y nasal. Gac Méd Caracas [online]. 2002, vol.110, n.2, pp.171-187. ISSN 0367-4762.

Asthma and rinitis are inflammatory pathologies related with variable severity and therapeutic response. The objective of the present study is to assess and compare the histopathological changes in nasal and bronchial mucosa of patients with mild persistent asthma and to settle down if similarity exists among both, what would allow to consider new strategies diagnoses and therapeutic opportunities to improve the morbidity. Ten patients were studied with mild persistent asthma, no smokers, withdraw of corticosteroids for at least 4 weeks before the start, without respiratory tract infection 4 previous weeks to the study. They were practiced simple spirometry, allergy tests by means of micropuncture, biopsy of bronchial and nasal mucosa, with bronchial lavage. All the patients obtained a 1 second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) greater than 65 % of the predictive value with the broncodilator second response greater or similar to 12 %. The allergy test documents atopia in 3 of 7 patients whom were tested. Similar inflammatory changes were observed in both nasal an bronchial mucosa, variable thickness of the basal membrane without statistically significant differences (P= 0,07); the common reactive cell in all the biopsy samples and bronchial lavage was the eosinophil associated to severe infiltrated linfoplasmocitary, Charcot Leyden crystals were present at the bronchial lavage and at both mucosas. Conclusion: Similar inflammatory changes were found at the nasal and bronchial mucosa. Patients with mild functional clinical behavior present active and severe inflammatory changes at the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Keywords : Asthma; Rinitis; Inflammation.