Question 2c

Which three factors determine the difference in bronchial responsiveness between healthy subjects and patients with asthma?

Your answer

• Sensitivity, reactivity and allergic status

This is not correct. You were misled by the allergic status on two accounts.

• In allergic subjects with asthma surely specific substances (allergens) may elicit a bronchoconstrictor response, i.e. when the person is allergic to that substance. However, proven allergy is not a prerequisite for an abnormally strong response.
• In a significant proportion of asthmatics allergy to substances cannot be established. This is denoted as "intrinsic asthma", to distinguish it from "extrinsic asthma".