Aim: To study airways reactivity in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Material and methods: Berotek and histamine tests were performed in 29 DM patients (type 1 DM - 20, type 2 DM - 9 patients) and 39 DM patients (12 and 27 patients, respectively). The age of the patients varied from 16 to 66 years.
Results: Positive berotek test was in 6 (20.7%) patients (delta FEV1 > 200). Of them 5 had type 1 DM. Positive histamine test was registered in 9 patients with type 2 DM (23.1%). This indicates bronchial hyperreactivity (BH). A qualitative analysis with Fisher's criterion detected correlation between BH and type of DM, BH and intake of sugar reducing tablets. Correlations between BH, body mass index, diabetes duration and late complications were not found.
Conclusion: DM patients have predisposition to bronchial spasm. Positive bronchodilation test was mainly in type 1 DM, BH in response to histamine was obtained in type 2 DM. Different mechanisms of a bronchospasm in type 1 and 2 DM are demonstrated. Predisposition to bronchospasm may play an unfavourable role in the course of nonspecific pulmonary diseases in DM patients.