Airway hyperresponsiveness and bronchial mucosal inflammation in T cell peptide-induced asthmatic reactions in atopic subjects

BACKGROUND: Subjects with allergic asthma develop isolated late asthmatic reactions after inhalation of allergen-derived T cell peptides. Animal experiments have shown that airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is CD4+ cell-dependent. It is hypothesised that peptide inhalation produces increases in non-specific AHR and a T cell-dominant bronchial mucosal inflammatory response. METHODS: Bronchoscopy, with bronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage …