SECTION 1 - INFLAMMATORY DETERMINANTS OF ASTHMA SEVERITY - BRONCHIAL BIOPSY FINDINGS IN INTERMITTENT OR EARLY ASTHMA

Bronchial biopsy specimens from subjects with intermittent or ''early' ' asthma were compared with specimens taken from healthy subjects. Pat ients with early asthma included those with seasonal asthma and occupa tional asthma. There was a small but statistically significant increas e in the thickness of the subepithelial extracellular matrix protein t enascin in subjects with seasonal and occupational asthma compared wit h control subjects. Collagen types IV and VII were increased only in p atients with occupational asthma. Eosinophils were the only inflammato ry cells that were significantly increased in subjects with seasonal a sthma compared with control subjects. These data show that inflammatio n is present in the airways of patients with early asthma, and the inc rease in tenascin expression in the basement membrane zone suggests th at structural changes are also initiated at an early stage of the dise ase.