BACKGROUND A key therapeutic approach to asthma, which is characterized by chronic airway inflammation, is inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). This study evaluated the association of symptom control with changes in lung function, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) after ICS treatment in asthmatic children. METHODS A total of 33 children aged between 5 and 12 years with mild to moderate persistent asthma were treated with 160 μg ciclesonide per day for 3 months. At days 0 and 90, the following parameters were assessed: asthma symptom scores; lung function, including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25-75%); BHR to methacholine and adenosine 5-monophosphate (AMP); and eNO. RESULTS Asthma symptom scores, lung function parameters, BHR to methacholine and AMP, and eNO levels at day 90 were significantly improved versus day 0 (all p < 0.001). Symptom scores at day 90 were not correlated with changes in lung function and BHR to methacholine during the follow-up period, whereas those at day 90 were more closely correlated with changes in BHR to AMP (r = 0.511, p = 0.003) than with eNO (r = -0.373, p = 0.035). Additionally, changes in PC20 AMP were correlated with changes in PC20 methacholine (r = 0.451, p = 0.011) and eNO (r = -0.474, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Changes in the BHR to AMP, and to a lesser extent eNO, correlate with asthma symptom control after ICS treatment. BHR to AMP may better reflect the relationship between improved airway inflammation due to ICS treatment and asthma symptoms.