Oscillations of Skin Microvascular Blood Flow in Patients with Asthma

Microcirculation. 2016 Jan;23(1):33-43. doi: 10.1111/micc.12252.

Abstract

Objective: This research is aimed at studying the features of skin blood flow oscillations in patients with severe persistent atopic BA during a period of fine control over symptoms.

Methods: The study of microcirculation was carried out by LDF at rest and in response to a transient ischemia in 20 patients. The time-amplitude adaptive wavelet analysis of the blood flow oscillations was conducted to elucidate the peculiarities of microcirculatory regulation system functioning.

Results: No significant changes were revealed for SBP and the oscillation amplitudes in the cardiac (0.6-2 Hz) and respiratory (0.145-0.6 Hz) intervals, both at rest and in response to transient ischemia, in patients compared to the control group. A consistent twofold decrease in the oscillation amplitudes was found in the neurogenic (0.021-0.052 Hz) interval at rest, as well as in the myogenic (0.052-0.145 Hz) and NO-dependent endothelial (0.0095-0.021 Hz) intervals both at rest and during the postocclusive reactive hyperemia in patients with lung obstruction (FEV1 < 80%) in comparison with a control group.

Conclusions: The amplitudes of skin blood flow oscillations in the myogenic, neurogenic and NO-dependent endothelial intervals in patients with obstruction are different from those in patients without obstruction.

Keywords: bronchial asthma; laser Doppler flowmetry; lung obstruction; microcirculation; postocclusive reactive hyperemia; skin blood flow oscillations; time-amplitude analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Asthma / physiopathology*
  • Biological Clocks*
  • Blood Flow Velocity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hyperemia / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Microcirculation*
  • Middle Aged
  • Skin / blood supply*