Pharmacotherapy and airway remodelling in asthma?
Over the last few decades attention has largely focused on airway inflammation in asthma, but more recently it has been appreciated that there are important structural airway changes which have been grouped together under the term "airway remodelling". It is only now that questions have been asked about the impact of treatment on these structural changes. This review examines the nature of these structural airway changes, the mechanisms of their generation, their potential consequences, and what is known about the ability of anti-asthma treatments to modulate these changes.
Beckett
P A
PA
Respiratory Cell Molecular Biology Division, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. Pab@soton.ac.uk
Howarth
P H
PH
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001980:Bronchi / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000473:pathology; D002867:Chromones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000473:pathology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000473:pathology
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D002867:Chromones; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015289:Leukotrienes