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Small airway inflammation in asthma

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Abstract

Asthma was originally described as an inflammatory disease that predominantly involves the central airways. Pathological and physiological evidence reported during the past few years suggests that the inflammatory process extends beyond the central airways to the peripheral airways and the lung parenchyma. The small airways are capable of producing T-helper-2 cytokines, as well as chemokines, and they have recently been recognized as a predominant site of airflow obstruction in asthmatic persons. The inflammation at this distal site has been described as more severe than large airway inflammation. These findings are of great clinical significance, and highlight the need to consider the peripheral airways as a target in any therapeutic strategy for treatment of asthma.

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Abbreviations

BDP:

beclomethasone dipropionate

GR:

glucocorticoid receptor

IFN:

interferon

IL:

interleukin

K d :

dissociation constant

MDI:

metered-dose inhalers

NA:

nocturnal asthma

NNA:

non-nocturnal asthma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of 3M Pharmaceuticals and MRC Canada for their support. MKT is a Ludwig-Engel Post-Doctoral Fellow.

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Correspondence to Meri K Tulic.

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Tulic, M.K., Christodoulopoulos, P. & Hamid, Q. Small airway inflammation in asthma. Respir Res 2, 333 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1186/rr83

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