Objective To investigate the changes of small airway function and diffusing capacity in patients with mild asthma before and after bronchial provocation test (BPT).Methods BPT was performed in suspected asthma patients with chief complaints of paroxysmal wheeze,chest tightness and cough,but with normal chest X-ray and baseline pulmonary function.BPT positive group was regarded as asthma group,while BPT negative group as control group.Lung volume,ventilatory function and diffusing capacity were measured before and after BPT and compared between the asthma and control groups.Results (A)No statistical differences were found in FEV1%,FEV1/FVC,FVC%,VC%,TLC%,FRC%,RV%,RV/TLC between the asthma and control groups before BPT.FEV1/FVC and FVC% were significantly decreased (all Plt;0.01),while FRC% (Plt;0.05),RV% (Plt;0.01) and RV/TLC (Plt;0.01) increased significantly in the asthma group after BPT compared with the control group.The decline rate of FEV1/FVC and FVC% and the increase rate of TLC%,RV%,RV/TLC were significantly higher in the asthma group than those in the control group (all Plt;0.01).(B)Compared with the control group,FEF25%-75% (Plt;0.05),Vmax75% (Plt;0.01) and Vmax50% (Plt;0.05) were significantly lowered before BPT,while the above parameters and Vmax25% were significantly decreased after BPT in the asthma group (all Plt;0.01).The decline rate of FEF25%-75%,Vmax75%,Vmax50% and Vmax25% was significantly higher in the asthma group than those in the control group (all Plt;0.01).(C)There was no statistical difference in DLCO in both groups before and after BPT.Conclusions Patients with mild asthma had small airways impairment before BCT which further declined after BPT.However,no impairment of diffusion capacity was found before or after BPT.