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Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 36:170-173 (2006)
© 2006 Association of Clinical Scientists

Brief Communication

Is Nasal Polyposis a Determinant of Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness and Altered Quality of Life in Asthmatic Subjects? A Case-Control Study.

Graziano Riccioni1, Tonino Bucciarelli1, Carmine Di Ilio1, Francesco Corradi1, Rosanna Della Vecchia2, Tommaso Staniscia3, Peter A. Mattei3 and Nicolantonio D’Orazio1
1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio, Chieti, Italy;2 Pathophysiology Respiratory Center, SS. Annunziata Hospital, Chieti, Italy.3 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University G. D’Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.

Address correspondence to Graziano Riccioni, M.D., Ph.D., Via G. De Rogatis 12 , CP 188, San Severo 71016 (FG), Italy; tel 39 333 636 6661; fax 39 0882 225537; e-mail griccioni{at}hotmail.com,

Asthmatic patients with nasal polyposis (NP) have been reported to have a high prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and a worsening of quality of life (QoL). The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate if NP is a determinant of BHR and is responsible for modifying the QoL in asthmatic subjects. Eighty-nine asthmatic subjects, including 24 patients with NP and 65 patients without NP (controls), underwent spirometry, methacholine challenge test (MCHt), skin prick tests, and were evaluated with the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Results of the MCHt test are expressed as the provocative concentration of methacholine that causes 20% (PC20) fall of forced expiratory volume at 1 sec (FEV1). The PC20 (mean ± SD) in NP cases was 1149 ± 668 µg/ml vs 894 ± 691 µg/ml in controls (p <0.001). This demonstrates that BHR was not enhanced by the presence of NP in asthmatic subjects. No significant differences were found between the NP cases and controls for overall QoL or for single QoL domains. This study shows that the presence of NP did not impair the QoL of asthmatic patients, as indicated by the items included in the AQLQ questionnaire.

Keywords: asthma, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, nasal polyposis, methacholine test, quality of life






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