title: Selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: Phosphodiesterase type 4 plays an important role in modulating the activity of cells that are involved in the inflammatory processes occurring in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. During the past decade, interest has focused on the development of selective inhibitors of phosphodiesterase-4, in an attempt to generate new treatment modalities that control airway inflammation not only in patients with asthma but also in those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The aim of the present review is to discuss the results of recent clinical intervention studies with phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology C2-P, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. D.C.Grootendorst@LUMC.nl
authors.forename: Diana C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Grootendorst
authors.forename: Klaus F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Rabe
mesh_terms: D015105:3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009712:Nucleotides, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
chemical_list: D009712:Nucleotides, Cyclic; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D015105:3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases; D054703:Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases, Type 4