[Asthma: prevalence, pathogenesis and perspectives on new treatments].
Asthma is a complex clinical syndrome with many phenotypes in both children and adults. Its major characteristics include airway inflammation and obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness. The disease has its roots in infancy, and both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its inception and clinical evolution. The prevalence of asthma in increasing around the world. Hypotheses that attempt to explain the rising prevalence have been advanced but remain unproven. To understand its pathogenesis it is essential to identify factors that modulate or intensify the inflammatory response of the airways. The association of allergic asthma with immune responses mediated by TH-2 cells and IgE antibodies has came to the forefront of medical research. Significant advances in understanding the immunology of asthma are being translated into specific therapies, some of which hold promise for disease modification.
Hospital General de Zona con Medicina Familiar 2, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Salamanca, Gto. teocamx@yahoo.es
Teodoro
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Carrada Bravo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D015195:Drug Design; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008875:Middle Aged; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015995:Prevalence; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D015848:Interleukin-5; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E