Asthma Intervention Research (AIR) Trial

Exclusion Criteria

• •Participation in another clinical trial involving respiratory intervention that could affect the outcome measures of this study, either within 6 weeks of the pretreatment evaluation, or during the study period
• •Current or recent respiratory tract infection (resolved less than 6 weeks from pretreatment evaluation)
• •History of recurrent (³ 3 infections/year) lower respiratory tract infection requiring antibiotics.
• •With the exception of the use of a prophylactic bronchodilator for exercise, requirement for more than 4 puffs in a 24-hour period of a short-acting b2-adrenergic agonist such as albuterol or salbutamol 100 mg/puff or equivalent within the seven days immediately prior to commencement of Enrollment Testing, Part I.
• •Unstable asthma as defined by the need for an extra visit to a healthcare provider, increase in or introduction of new maintenance or symptom relieving medications (including new requirement for IV or nebulized medications) within 6 weeks of enrollment
• •Use of an internal or external pacemaker or internal cardiac defibrillator
• •Significant co-morbid illness such as cancer, renal failure, liver disease or cerebral vascular disease
• •POST-bronchodilator FEV1 of less than 65%.
• •Known systemic hypersensitivity or contraindication to methacholine chloride or other parasympathomimetic agents
• •Known sensitivity to medications required to perform bronchoscopy, including lidocaine, atropine and benzodiazepines
• •Use of a systemic b-adrenergic blocking agent
• •Pregnancy
• •Nursing mother
• •History of epilepsy
• •Cardiovascular disease, including bradycardia, angina, cardiac dysrhythmia, conduction defect or cardiac myopathy
• •Myocardial infarction or stroke within 6 months of the pretreatment evaluation
• •Any active disease left untreated,
• •Bleeding diathesis, platelet dysfunction, thrombocytopenia with platelet count less than 125,000/mm2 or known coagulopathy (INR \> 1.5)
• •Use of anticoagulants
• •Insulin-dependent diabetes
• •Psychiatric disorder which in the judgement of the investigator could interfere with provision of informed consent, completion of tests, therapy, or follow-up
• •Presence of segmental atelectasis, lobar consolidation, significant or unstable pulmonary infiltrate, or pneumothorax, confirmed on x-ray
• •Interstitial lung disease
• •Uncontrolled hypertension (\>200 mmHg systolic or \>100mmHg diastolic pressure)
• •Known aortic aneurysm