Airway responses to sulfur dioxide and methacholine in asthmatics

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6376977

Witek, Jr, T J; Schachter, E N

Sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) is a common air pollutant found in the workplace. Considerable variation exists in the airway responses of asthmatics to the inhalation of SO/sub 2/. To determine if such variation among asthmatics is related to nonspecific airway reactivity, the authors compared the threshold doses of methacholine and SO/sub 2/ required to produce significant changes in flow rates at 60% of the vital capacity below total lung capacity on the partial expiratory flow volume curve in a group of eight mildly asthmatic subjects. A significant correlation between the dose of SO/sub 2/ and the dose of methacholine required to produce bronchoconstriction (r = .86, p less than .05) was observed, suggesting that there is a relationship between the response to SO/sub 2/ and the response to methacholine in mildly asthmatic individuals. More generally, nonspecific airway hyperreactivity may help to predict airway responses to inhaled SO/sub 2/ in the workplace.

• OSTI ID: 6376977
• Journal Information: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: JOM, J. Occup. Med.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN JJOMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ALCOHOLS
AMINES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ASTHMA
BODY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHOLINE
DISEASES
DRUGS
DYNAMIC FUNCTION STUDIES
FORECASTING
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
LUNGS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SYNERGISM