Airway hyperreactivity is frequent in non-asthmatic children with sickle cell disease

Summary Background Asthma is associated with poorer outcomes in sickle cell disease (SCD). Whether AHR can exist in SCD as a distinct entity, separate and independent of asthma, is unknown. Aims Our goal was to elucidate the prevalence of AHR, as measured by a methacholine challenge test (MCT), in children with SCD who did not have concomitant asthma or any recent history of acute chest syndrome (ACS). To determine if AHR was associated with asthma‐like symptoms, we compared the results of the MCT to a validated asthma questionnaire. We also examined if a correlation between AHR and inflammatory markers exists. Methods AHR was identified with a positive MCT defined as a provocation concentration (PC20)