Effect of Magnitude of Airway Responsiveness and Therapy With Inhaled Corticosteroid on Histamine Tachyphylaxis in Asthma

Histamine challenge testing is used to measure airway responsiveness in asthma. Histamine tachyphylaxis has been demonstrated after repeated challenges in mild asthmatics not using inhaled corticosteroid. Other studies, using subjects with variable severity of asthma, have not demonstrated histamine tachyphylaxis. Forty patients with stable asthma were studied and stratified according to severity of airway hyperresponsiveness and use of inhaled …