Chest tightness is relieved with the use of asthma drugs except bronchodilators

Hirokazu TaniguchiThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan; Correspondence[email protected]

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1571-9558

, MD, PhD

Yuko NakanishiThe Department of Pathology, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD, PhD,

Takeshi TsudaThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD,

Yasuaki MasakiThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD,

Hideaki FuruseThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD,

Kensuke SuzukiThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD, PhD,

Shin IshizawaThe Department of Pathology, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD, PhD,

Atsushi MutoThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD,

Mami ShimizuThe Department of Internal Medicine, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD,

Tomomi IchikawaThe Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Toyama Red Cross Hospital, Toyama, Japan;

, MD &

Hideki MiyazawaThe Department of Thoracic Surgery, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Toyama, Japan

, MD, PhD show all

Abstract

Objective: Many patients with a chief complaint of chest tightness are examined in medical facilities, and a lack of diagnosis is not uncommon. We have reported that these patients often include those with chest tightness relieved with bronchodilator use (CTRB) and those with chest tightness relieved with the use of asthma drugs except bronchodilators (CTRAEB). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the clinical characteristics of the patients with CTRAEB and compare them with data from patients with CTRB. Methods: Patients with CTRB (n = 13) and CTRAEB (n = 7) underwent a bronchodilator test, assessments of airway responsiveness to methacholine, bronchial biopsy, and bronchial lavage under fiberoptic bronchoscopy before receiving treatment. In all, 10 healthy subjects, 11 bronchial biopsy control patients, and 10 asthmatic patients were recruited for comparison. Results: Inhalation of a short-acting ß₂-agonist (SABA) increased the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) by 5.1% ± 4.0% in patients with CTRB and by 1.3% ± 3.5% in patients with CTRAEB, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0449). The bronchial biopsy specimens from the patients with CTRB and CTRAEB exhibited significant increases in T cells (p < .05) compared with those of the control subjects. The bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was increased in only a minor portion of patients with CTRB and CTRAEB. Conclusions: We hypothesized that the clinical condition of patients with CTRAEB involves chest tightness arising from inflammation alone, and this chest tightness is mostly associated with airway T cells, without constriction of the airways. There is little to distinguish CTRAEB from CTRB aside from the response to bronchodilator treatment.

This clinical trial is registered at www.umin.ac.jp (UMIN13994, 13998, and 16741).

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Chest tightness is relieved with the use of asthma drugs except bronchodilators

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Chest tightness is relieved with the use of asthma drugs except bronchodilators

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