EARLY THICKENING OF THE RETICULAR BASEMENT MEMBRANE IN CHILDREN WITH DIFFICULT ASTHMA

Abstract

Payne DN, Rogers AV, Adelroth E, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med . 2003;167:78–83 To determine whether reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening is present among children with difficult-to-control asthma and to compare the findings with those for adults with asthma. Subjects were 19 children (6–16 years of age) with difficult-to-control asthma. Control subjects were 10 children (7–16 years of age) without asthma, 10 adults with mild asthma, 6 adults with severe asthma, and 8 healthy adults. The 19 asthmatic children underwent bronchoscopy and endobronchial biopsy as part of an asthma evaluation. Patients were treated …