[Study of aspecific bronchial reactivity in subjects with allergic diseases and in bronchial asthma patients].

A study has been carried out on the effect of inhalatory metacholine in a series of 29 subjects, 10 of whom were normal, 11 asthmatic and 8 non-asthmatic allergopathics. Respiratory alterations were studied using 8 functional parameters designed to highlight the behaviour of the major and minor airways respectively. Metacholine at very high doses was studied in normal subjects, demonstrating its lack of effect at respiratory level. The functional behaviour of the allergopathics proved to differ from that of the asthmatics and was characterized essentially by a diminution in low expiratory flows unassociated with clinical signs or functional involvement of the main airways. The meaning of the results and their possible clinical importance are discussed.