Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph's Hospital and the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2009 Oct;1(1):3-9. doi: 10.4168/aair.2009.1.1.3. Epub 2009 Sep 25.
Allergen inhalation challenge has been useful for examining the mechanisms of allergen-induced airway inflammation and the associated physiological changes and for documenting the efficacy of drugs to treat asthma. Allergen inhalation by a sensitized subject results in acute bronchoconstriction, beginning within 15-30 min and lasting 1-3 hr, which can be followed by the development of a late asthmatic response. Individuals who develop both an early and late response after allergen have more marked increases in airway hyperresponsiveness, and greater increases in allergen-induced airway inflammation, particularly in airway eosinophils and basophils. All of the currently available and effective treatments for asthma modify some aspects of allergen-induced responses. These medications include short-acting and long-acting inhaled beta(2)-agonists, inhaled corticosteroids, cromones, methylxanthines, leukotriene inhibitors, and anti-IgE monoclonal antibody. In addition, allergen inhalation challenge has become a useful method which can, in a very limited number of patients, provide key information on the therapeutic potential of new drugs being developed to treat asthma.
变应原吸入激发试验在研究变应原引起的气道炎症及其相关的生理变化的机制，以及评价药物治疗哮喘的疗效方面是有用的。致敏患者吸入变应原后可引起急性支气管痉挛，于吸入后 15-30 分钟开始，持续 1-3 小时，继之可发生迟发哮喘反应。变应原吸入后既发生早期反应又发生迟发反应的个体，其气道高反应性增加更明显，变应原引起的气道炎症，特别是气道中的嗜酸粒细胞和嗜碱粒细胞增加也更明显。目前所有有效的哮喘治疗药物都可在某种程度上改变变应原引起的反应。这些药物包括短效和长效吸入型β2-激动剂、吸入型皮质激素、克仑特罗、黄嘌呤类、白三烯抑制剂和抗 IgE 单克隆抗体。此外，变应原吸入激发试验已成为一种有用的方法，它可在数量有限的患者中，为正在开发的治疗哮喘的新药的治疗潜力提供关键信息。
